Premierguitar200911 1 DL

NOVEMBERHighlights
The Pedal Issue
Sponsored by PRS Guitars
Buddy Guy:
Keepin the
Blues Alive!
The legend talks about

his legacy and the future
of the Blues.
The State of the Stomp
Tom Hughes examines the current

state of the effects pedal market.
The Stomping
Grounds
Our pedal experts offer up 25+

reviews in eight categories of musthave stompboxes for your board.
Pedal by Numbers:
Three DIY Kits
Interested in getting in on the DIY craze? We did

the work for you, and its easier than you think...
Brad Paisley:
Proud Gearhead
The country superstar talks

about equipment, tone, his
influences, and his wifes
tolerance of that peculiar
affliction known as G.A.S.
REVIEWS:
Pimp Your Pedalboard
Seven pedalboard add-ons to help

you trick out your stomps.
Fenders Sonic Youth Signature Jazzmasters

65Amps Lil Elvis L.R. Baggs Venue DI Fishman Aura
Spectrum DI VanAmps Reverbamate ASR-1 and
Sole-Mate Schroeder Guitars Radio Lane Acoustic Image Ten2 Combo Kragenbrink OM
Fingerstylist Jarrett Zaffiro XJ Hanson Chicagoan TomasZewicZ Amplifiers TZZ-15112
6 NEW LESSONS SNEak PEEk: LiNE 6 SPidEr VaLVE Mkii 112

NOVEMBER 2009
PREMIERGUITAR.COM
THE
PEDAL
ISSUE
25+ Reviews
Pimp Your Pedalboard
3 DIY Pedal Kits
BUDDY GUY
Keepin the Blues Alive!
BRAD PAISLEY
Proud Gearhead
MORE GEAR REVIEwS

DIs from Fishman & L.R. Baggs,
Fender Sonic Youth Jazzmasters,
65Amps Lil Elvis and MORE
$5.95 U.S.
NEwS: Gibson Does Fender
FIVE wICkED LITTLE PEDALS wITH kILLER STACkS OF TONE.

Each tempting SansAmp Character Series pedal is a time capsule of distinctive amplifer
styles taken from decades of tone born in the UK and the USA. You can explore these
iconic tones, then tweak them your way with the amp-like knobs and the unique Character
control, which delivers tones from classic vintage to red hot mod. Every pedal features
true SansAmp speaker cab emulation specifically voiced for each amp type, delivering
a complete stage and recording solution. Go on, take a bite.
BLONDE
This Blonde dishes out pure American tone

to the stratosphere. Sparkly, spanky cleans
to the bark of a hard-pushed tweed, maxing
out in fat boosted lead tone. Hop on for one
wild ride through history.
BRITISH
LIVERPOOL
CALIFORNIA
VT BASS
The legendary crunch of British steel

and Greenback-style speakers delivers
searing blues to UK anarchy from this
Anglo-voiced pedal. It all adds up to a
well tasty spot o bovver, Brit-style.
From chiming, woody cleans, gnarly wickergrille overdrive and supernatural silky
sustain to devastating, ballsy chunk of a
high gain rectifier. Its everything you need
to create your own California dream tone.
Designed and Manufactured in the U.S.A. - www.tech21nyc.com
That distinctive diamond grille tone is yours

for the tweaking. This smokin amp style
has a voice that shook generations. Push it
to the limit and it will, it will, rock you.
Legendary bass tone for players who enjoy

being heard. Bask in thick, articulated tones,
from chunky funk to the high gain growl of
indie rock. Clean focused punch to dirty
earthquaking rump, you dial it in.
Get More for
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Peter F. Sprague
CEO
peter@premierguitar.com
Patricia A. Sprague
COO
patti@premierguitar.com
Gary Ciocci
Managing Director
gary@premierguitar.com
603-924-0139
Jon Levy
Managing Director
jon@premierguitar.com
818-994-3800
EDITORIAL
Editorial Director
Joe Coffey
Editor in Chief
joe@premierguitar.com
Chris Burgess
chrisb@premierguitar.com
Managing Editor
Gabriel J. Hernandez
Senior Art Editor

Art Editor
Sara Legore
Meghan Molumby
sara@premierguitar.com
meghan@premierguitar.com
Rebecca Dirks
rebecca@premierguitar.com
Web Content Editor

Associate Editor
gabe@premierguitar.com
Chris Kies
Staff Writer
Assistant Editor
Assistant Editor
chris@premierguitar.com
Jordan Wagner
jordan@premierguitar.com
Theresa Sherwood
Ian McClintock
theresa@premierguitar.com
ian@premierguitar.com
PRODUCTION & OPERATIONs

Operations Manager
Circulation Manager
Production Coordinator
Shannon Britcher
Lois Stodola
Haylee Zlatohlavek
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haylee@premierguitar.com
sALEs/MARKETING
Vice-President, Sales
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The information and advertising set forth herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable and
compiled with great care. Gearhead Communications, L.L.C., however, does not warrant complete accuracy of
such information and assumes no responsibility for any consequences arising from the use thereof or reliance
thereon. Publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement or space reservation at any time
without notice. Publisher shall not be liable for any costs or damages if for any reason it fails to publish an
advertisement. This publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, or
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the prior written permission of the publisher.
Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.
Premier Guitar is a publication of Gearhead Communications, L.L.C.
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Distributed to the music trade by Hal Leonard Corporation.
6 PREMIER GUITAR NOVEMBER 2009
w w w. p re m i e rg u i t a r. c o m
TUNING UP
More of the Same
Greetings gearheads and welcome to another

jam-packed edition of Premier
Guitar. Were
proud to bring
you more of the
same this month again. As ho-hum as
that may sound, keep in mind that for us,
the same means churning out another
gear-obsessed issue of the thickest and
best-priced guitar mag on the rack. We
go overboard again. This time, with an
emphasis on pedals and effects.
We round up 25+ stomps for you, many of
them being reviewed for the first time here,
and take you through some DIY pedals that
are almost as fun to build as they are to
play. (Actually, one kind of kicked our ass,
but man does it sound good.) We examine
the state of the stompbox and show you
some cool add-ons thatll pimp your board
out in style. Also, a man known to step
on a boutique pedal or two, Brad Paisley,
takes us through his equipment. The man
who first harnessed feedback, Buddy Guy,
sits down with us, too. He talks about his
career and his gear, and why theres only
one effect on the floor when he hits the
stage. Of course, the usual suspects have
another round of gear-focused columns for
you, Hal Leonard brings us another batch
of lessons and our reviewers dig into a
smorgasbord of G.A.S.-inducing guitars,
amps, etc again.
that was distributed to 3500 gearheads

in five Midwestern states. Weve come a
long way, baby.
I am constantly honored and humbled by
the support that you, the readers, have
provided over the years. Many of you have
followed this publication since the very first
issue, and Ive received notes from readers
all over the world who have read this column and felt it touched their lives in some
way. Many have been inspired to share
their own personal musical journeys with
me, whether its connecting to Old Dudes
Rock or The Sanctuary of Soul, or simply discovering the serenity of passing the
gift of music on to your kidsIve always
attempted to reinforce the importance of
sharing music, and of understanding the
unconditional happiness that playing guitar
and creating music brings into your life. Its
been an incredibly rewarding experience
and I thank you for being a part of it.
My new day gig involves an outdoorsfocused media company called Sticks &
Stones but, as Im sure youve guessed by
now, my musical journey will continue. My
passion for guitars and music flows in my
veins as it flows in yours; that journey will
be a lifelong pursuit. I am very fortunate at
my age to be able to perform 60 shows per
year, run a successful sound and produc-
tion company and look forward to what my

musical future holds.
I leave you in good hands, so you should
definitely expect more of the same. The
brain trust that shifted this operation into
high gear as Premier Guitar since February
07 is still in place and the editorial team
that is responsible for the articles, builder
profiles, reviews, etc. that make this
magazine what it is today is gonna keep
on keepin on. In fact, that team and the
rest of the Premier Guitar and Guitar Edge
staffs are expanding. Thats rightyou
can expect even more from your favorite
gearhead-friendly media company. Be sure
to get acquainted with PGs newest editor,
Gabe J. Hernandez, on the next page.
It has been my honor to work with the
members of this dedicated crew and to
have had the chance to share my passion
with you. I look forward to an exciting
rebirth, and Ill see you all somewhere
down the road. Rememberlife is short;
you can always live the Dream again.
Nuff Sed,
Trent Salter, Publisher
One thing that makes this issue different

is the fact that this is my last go-round
with these cowboys. After 15 of the best
years of my life, Im taking a hard turn off
my current path to go another direction.
As founding publisher of this magazine,
this is a tough decision, for sure. I can
hardly begin to express my gratitude and
appreciation for what Ive experienced
in the last decade and a half. In case you
didnt know, this shindig started out as
Midwest Musicians Hotline in June of
1995on a wing and a prayer. Back then
it was a 24-page newsprint publication
8 PREMIER GUITAR NOVEMBER 2009
I cant remember if I cried

When I read about his widowed bride
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died
an eight-minute twenty-seven-second farewell, written on a D-28, 1971
AMERICAS GUITAR
Music history. Martin history.
"American Pie" by Don McLean 1971, renewed 1999 by Songs of Universal, Inc. on behalf of itself and Benny Bird Co., Inc./BMI. Used by permission. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. 2005 C.F. Martin & Co. martinguitar.com
FRONT OF HOUSE
Welcome to Paradise!
Have you ever felt

like you died and
went to heaven?
For us gearheads,
that dream scenario might involve
teaming up with a
bunch of fellow gearheads and spending all day,
every day, checking out gearamps, pedals,
guitars, strings, picks, pickups, speakers, cables,
etc. Wouldnt that be cool?
Well folks, Im happy to report that there
is hope, because my name is Gabriel
Hernandez, and Im the newest editor here at
Premier Guitar. Ive just joined a magnificent
team of fellow gear junkies that congregate
at the same office five days a week to put
together the finest guitar magazine under the
sun. Ive long enjoyed this thing that Trent
Salter created 15 years ago and have a new
appreciation for what goes into each issue
and each days lineup of new online content
now that Ive been here for a few issues. Yes,
its as fun as you imagined. Just imagine having gear in your office and noodling away all
day as you write and edit stories about, you
guessed itmore gear.
As you may have noticed over the past year,
this Front of House column is a page where
editorial staffers occasionally jump into the
fray with our own voice and address some
things of possible interest to fellow gearheads. Ive been asked to do a sound check
in this space this month in order to give
you an idea of who I am and how I roll. As
you might expect, there are many common
threads among the staff members at Premier
Guitar and Guitar Edge and you, our fellow
gearheads, not the least of which is an outright passion for all things guitar.
I bet many of you can recall the moment when
music took your heart. I can trace my love of
melody and rhythm to the day my grandmother bought me my first radio. I was six years
old, and it was a cheap hand-held AM radio
with an even cheaper set of small earphones.
But that cheap little radio picked up the signal
to the only AM radio station in West Palm
10 P R E M I E R G U I T A R N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9
Beach (at the time)WPOM 1600which

broadcast a combined rock/R&B format.
That unforgettable station introduced me to
the likes of Stevie Wonder, the Edgar Winter
Group, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, Steely
Dan, and Smokey Robinson, among many others. My life hasnt been the same ever since.
About the same time, I began to develop this
incredible fascination with guitars, and started devoting a huge chunk of my free time
away from school and baseball practice to
using my dads spare pieces of plywood and
his jigsaw to carve out facsimiles of my favorite models. Id look at the photographs of
guitarists and their guitars in Hit Parader and
Creem and then draw their shapes (usually a
Les Paul) on the wood and attack it with the
jigsaw. Once the shape was cut out, Id take
some paint and illustrate all the essential guitar details pickups, knobs, strings, logos,
tuners, etc. Suffice to say I ruined quite a few
pieces of plywood, jigsaw blades and paint
brushes trying to get these creations to look
as authentic as possible.
My very first guitar was a basic Spanish classical guitar given to me by my ever-perceptive
grandmother, who then directed me to stop
using my dads tools. I absolutely fell in love
with that guitar, and my mom and dad eventually sprang for guitar lessons so I could learn
how to at least tune the thing up. Once I
started the lessons, though, it became painfully obvious that a classical guitar was not the
proper instrument to produce the sounds of
Black Sabbaths War Pigs or Deep Purples
Smoke On The Water. So, next up was a
Marlboro amp and a Hondo II Les Paul-copy
electric guitar. Around that same time, a cousin in New York (you know who you are) turned
me on to the one album that turned my world
completely upside downLed Zeppelins
Houses of the Holy. It wasnt long before I was
listening to everything Zeppelin had put on
vinyl. Of course, the first rock song I ever mastered was Stairway To Heaven.
starving, semi-professional musician that I

managed to sustain for the better part of
the next 20 years.
Somewhere along the way, I picked up a
journalism degree (go Gators!) and honed
my writing chops. Ive covered a number of
communities, sports and industries but I must
say guitars are my first choice of subject matter. Perhaps its no surprise that my journey
involved moving to Nashville for a gig at
Gibson that involved writing and editing all
sorts of material about guitars and artists.
Fast forward to today. Im now literally surrounded by gear. I couldnt ask for a better
bunch of like-minded people to work with,
either. There is no middle ground here. And
there is no room for half-assed coverage of
an industry that is so dear to our hearts. This
is truly a labor of lovehow many people can
actually say that they love what they do for
a living? Well, count me and my colleagues
among the few that can. There is a heaven on
earth, I just found it.
Gabriel J. Hernandez
gabe@premierguitar.com
From there, the rest is pretty much history.

I started playing in cover bands with friends
and eventually began a quasi career as a
Ritchie Blackmore
Stratocaster
Legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore has been creating

memorable guitar riffs for decades. His deft phrasing and
unmistakable tone have helped make the phrase guitar solo
a household term. Blackmore and Fender are now proud to
introduce the Ritchie Blackmore Stratocaster. Based on his
favorite '70s Stratocaster, the guitar features a maple neck with
a graduated scalloped rosewood fretboard, Seymour Duncan
Quarter Pound Flat pickups and '70s-style F tuners. Play
one today at an authorized Fender dealer near you.
www.blackmoresnight.com
Photos: John Peden
and Neil Zlozower
2009 FMIC. Fender, Stratocaster, Strat, and the distinctive headstock designs of this guitar are
trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.
FEATURES + REVIEWS
Martins JC Buddy Guy Blues Guitar, being played by the man himself.
FEATURES
87 Buddy Guy: Keepin the Blues Alive!
The legend talks about his legacy,
and the future of the Blues.
87
Buddy Guy: Keepin the

Blues Alive!
REVIEWS
156
159
Schroeder Guitars Radio Lane

Acoustic Image Ten2 Combo
The months Blues, Rock, Acoustic and Jazz Lessons,

presented by Hal Leonard.
164
Jarrett Zaffiro XJ
108 Brad Paisley: Proud Gearhead
169
Kragenbrink OM Fingerstylist
174
TomasZewicZ Amplifiers TZZ-15112
177
L.R. Baggs Venue DI
180
Fishman Aura Spectrum DI
184
65Amps Lil Elvis
187
VanAmps Reverbamate ASR-1
98 Premier Clinic
The country superstar talks about equipment, tone,

his influences, and his wifes tolerance of that peculiar
affliction known as G.A.S.
117 The State of the Stomp
Tom Hughes examines the current state

of the effects pedal market.
124 The Stomping Grounds
Our pedal experts offer up their reviews of 25+

must-have stompboxes for your board.
142 Pedal by Numbers: Three DIY Kits
We did the work for you, and its easier than you think
check it out.
152 Pimp Your Pedalboard
Seven pedalboard add-ons to help you trick out your stomps.
and Sole-Mate
191
Fenders Sonic Youth Signature

Jazzmasters
196
Hanson Chicagoan
NEWS + DEPARTMENTS
NEWS
32 Gibson Does Fender, New PRS
Guitars, New iPhone Apps
On The
Cover:
Cover Photo by: Sara Legore and
Meghan Molumby
DEPARTMENTS
19 Opening Notes
46 Hot Links
Gibson Does Fender, New PRS Guitars, New

iPhone Apps
The Public Record with Tommy Lee
30 Reader Feedback
38 November Media Preview
Chet Atkins, B.B. King, Bob Seger, Canyon of
Dreams, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Moody Blues
Gigging + Recording
48 Tone Tips
Peter Stroud
Pedalzzzz
50 On Track
Rich Tozzoli
Mixing in the Box
52 Shifting Gear
Rich Eckhardt
Sharing the Stage with Mark Gillespie
54 On Bass
Dan Berkowitz
Get to Know Your Bass Amp, Part 1
56 Guitar Tracks
Jeff Hollman
Too Many Pedals?
Tech Tips
58 Acoustic Soundboard
Dick Boak
The Soul of a Guitar
60 Ask Amp Man

Jeff Bober
Making a Supro Super
64 Speaker Tone Center
1958 Fender Strat leaning

against 1959 Fender Twin
72 The Low End
Kevin Borden
Unsung Heroes of Tone: The End of an Era
74 Vintage Vault
Tim Mullally
1959 Fender Twin with 1958 Fender Strat
And Dont Miss ...

78 Jazz Box
Jane Miller
The Repertoire List
80 Fierce Guitar
Rusty Cooley
Legato
82 Signal Chain
Dean Farley
Treble in Mind
84 Eclectic Guitar
Pat Smith
Open String Fling
224 Last Call
John Bolinger
My Name is John, and I Have a Pedal Problem
Eye Candy
Kurt Prange
Alnico, The Miracle Alloy
204 Gear Search Gallery
66 Stomp School
209 Guitar of the Month
Tom Hughes
Stompbox Classic: Tone Bender, Part 2
74
200 New Products

216 Hightlights from
The Gear Page
Vintage + Upkeep
Pedalboard, Circa 1981
1978 Gibson The Paul (Standard)
212 Modern Builder Vault

Eric Joseph Electric Guitars
68 Trash or Treasure
Zach Fjestad
Fender Princeton Reverb
70 Restoring an Original
John Brown
1956 Gretsch Corsair Truss Rod Rescue
2009 Taylor Guitars
Always to our own tune.
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OPENING NOTES
Steve Strongman
July 5, 2009
Angle de President-Kennedy et De Maisonneuve
Montreal, QC Canada
Photo by Joe Coffey
Canadian Steve Strongman coaxes the blues out
of his Hipshot Xtender-equipped 335 59 Dot
reissue at the Montreal Jazz Festival. Strongman
tours with two DeVille 2x12s, a Marshall JCM
2000 DSL 50 and a pedalboard that includes a
TS9, a Fulltone Clyde Wah (Standard), a Line
6 DL4 and his favorite pedala Voodoo Lab
Sparkle Drive, which he uses as a clean boost.
PREMIER GUITAR NOVEMBER 2009
19
Aug. 29, 2009

Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, CA
Photo by Jerome Brunet
Omar Rodrguez-Lpez of The Mars Volta
rips into his signature Ibanez ORM at the
Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival.
The 24"-scale guitar features a single
ACH humbucker and an adjustable
Gibraltar III bridge.
OPENING NOTES
21
Jerry Cantrell
Sept. 20, 2009
Eagles Ballroom
Milwaukee, WI
Photo by Chris Kies
Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains uses his trademark 84
G&L Rampage during the song Rain When I Die.
The beaten, battered and burnt Rampage features
some Cantrell-approved mods: a Seymour Duncan JB
humbucker, a Kahler trem chosen for what he calls his
heavy-handed trem-clamping style and a Floyd Rose
locking nut for improved intonation. Watch Cantrell
walk you through his current touring gear in a video Rig
Rundown online at premierguitar.com
OPENING NOTES
23
OPENING NOTES
Billy Zoom
July 24, 2009
Pacific Amphitheater
Costa Mesa, CA
Photo by Harmony Gerber
Billy Zooms look of surprise seems to
mimic that of the gearheads who go to his
X shows and assume that he is playing one
of his mid-50s Gretsch Silver Jets. Here,
he is playing the original prototype of his
G6129BZ Custom Shop Tribute model;
it was built in 2007. The tribute models
are painstakingly accurate recreations of
his 1955 Silver Jet, barring the special
Seymour Duncan pickups that
were designed to recreate the
tone of his 50s DeArmonds.
The Gretsch Custom Shop
used a CAT scan to
analyze his prized 1955
Silver Jetit found
that the guitar was
95% hollow.
OPENING NOTES
Mike OBrien
July 4, 2009
The Palais des Congrs de Montral
Montreal, QC Canada
Photo by Joe Coffey
Newcomer Mike OBrien plays a Bischoff AEBR-090 Baritone Acoustelectric at the Montreal
Guitar Show. The semi-hollowbody guitar has
a walnut body and a maple neck with splitable
Seymour Duncans and a Fishman Matrix bridge
pickup that can run separately or blended.
STABILITY
BALANCE
PLAYABILITY
Youve spent years down in the trenches cultivating
your own unique voice, garnering the respect of your
peers and the admiration of your audiences. Now youre
ready for an instrument worthy of your hard-earned
cachet; a roadworthy axe with the stability, balance,
and playability you demand at every performance. Your
choice? Ibanez Prestige crafted by Japans nest
luthiers a guitar that will carry your sound to new
heights and inspire your imagination.
www.ibanez.com/prestige
for more info and videos on all prestige models
This Month on
.com
Listen Up
Want to hear the pedals in this
months roundup? Click here
we have an audio example of
each one, along with audio
samples of the rest of the gear
weve reviewed this month.
After talking with Tim Mahoney for our video

rig rundown on PremierGuitar.com, we realized that this guy is a serious gearhead. We sat
down with Tim for a longer talk about the evolution of his rig and his epic pedalboards.
Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell

shows us the gear hes taking on tour
in support of the bands new album.
<<<
Rig Rundown: Jerry Cantrell
<<<
Interview: 311s Tim Mahoney
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is home to hundreds of

guitars used by legendary guitarists like Hank Williams, Buck Owens,
Chet Atkins and Johnny Cash. Whether youre planning a trip to Nashville
or cant make it there, our gallery gives you a peek inside at the instruments
that laid the foundation for modern music.
<<<
The Guitars of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
5 Custom Pedalboard Builders

You Should Check Out
<<<
<<<
Brand New Gear Alert!
Fresh out of the oven, we have a
review of the BilT Relevator.
Thinking of going the custom pedalboard

route? We talk with five custom builders
to see what they have to offer.
Get the News:

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premierguitar.com/newsletter
Limited Edition
20th Anniversaries are rare and should be celebrated with
class. This Limited Edition guitar was created to honor the 20
year relationship Washburn Guitars has had with legendary
guitar hero Nuno Bettencourt. Crafted in the USA Custom
Shop, each one of these works of art are hand signed and
numbered by Nuno himself. Following the original designs
from 1989, we have recreated the same feel and specs of
Nunos original N4 Neck combined with a highly figured
Hawaiian Koa droptop and Exotic African Korina body. This
guitar is a must have for any collector.
Exotic African Korina Body
Highly Figured Hawaiian Koa droptop
Birdseye Maple neck
Ebony Fingerboard
Mourning Widow inlay
Gold Hardware
Gotoh Tuners
Bill Lawrence L500 bridge pickup
Seymour Duncan 59 neck pickup
Original Floyd Rose German made
Custom Tapered 500K Audio Pot
Print Decal Logos
Includes:
Custom Deluxe Hardshell Case
Certificate of Authenticity
Black Nail Polish
Participating Washburn N4 Signature Series Dealers

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Watauga, TX
817-456-6864
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413-896-8724
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SSONS
5 NEW LE
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L M G S E R R 2009
OCTOBE
AR.COM
PREMIERGUIT
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LETTERS
LES PAUL ED
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His Band Pays Tribu
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Certified and Inspi
VOYAGEUR
AS
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The Guitar That Unite
CHECK
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AMP MODEL
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Comparing Mode
REVIEWS
NEW GEAR od,
B.C. Rich,
uitar.com
www.premierg
Guys Dig Chicks Who Play Bass
Bogner, Tanglewo Mesa/Boogie,

Rivera, Yamaha, Godin and MORE
$5.95U.S .
One more of Les Pauls close friends ...

I just finished reading Gabriel Hernandezs
article on Les Paul [Oct. 2009]. No article of
this nature should have ignored Less long
time soundman, luthier, guitar tech, driver
and confidant of over 40 yearsmaster
luthier Tom Doyle. Tom was as much a part of
the Les Paul Trio as any of the folks on stage
yet, since Less passing, he has been ignored
not only by your magazine but even by
Gibson themselves. Tom is a master guitarist
in his own right, builds his own amazing
guitars and pickups, and is a repairman to
the stars. He also restores priceless guitars
for some of the best musicians in the world.
You should check out some of the stories
on YouTube and on the internet and give
this multi-talented artist the recognition that
is long overdue. Im proud to have been a
customer and friend of Toms for over 35
years now, and know first hand what a genius
he is. Thanks for listening.
John Zimmer
Thanks for taking the time to write us, John.
And rest assured that Tom Doyles name did
come up quite a few times in our interviews
with the members of Les Pauls bandall
of whom spoke very highly of his abilities,
and of his close relationship with Les. Since
the article was limited in scope to just the
members of the band, an editorial decision
was made to contact only Lou Pallo, John
Colianni and Nicki Parrott. We promise,
however, that Toms work and legacy will
not go unnoticed, and we have put his
name on our editorial calendar to revisit at
a later date. Again, thanks for enjoying our
magazine, and keep your eyes peeled for a
future article on Toms brilliant contributions
to the industry, and his enduring relationship
with the incomparable Les Paul.
Keep those
comments
coming!
Say it aint so! No Tal in this of all issue

themes? I waited a whole month for the
promised Tal Wilkenfeld interview (shes my
new musical crush after I watched her hold
it down and tear it up on the Jeff Beck Live
at Ronnie Scotts DVD).
I know that stuff happens and scheduling
snafus arise, but I leafed through the
new September mag three times before
accepting there was no Tal. (I sure hope
it wasnt due to something like she or her
management were jerks.)
7 NEW LESSONS SNEak PEEk: LINE 6 SPIDER IV
SEPTEMBER 2009
PREMIERGUITAR.COM
What Every Guitarist

Should Know About
ESCAPE FROM
THE DOGHOUSE
Fenders Bass Revolution
GEAR GALORE
Montreal and Nashville
ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO
Austins Real Animal
5 BASS BUILDERS
You Should Meet
NEW GEAR REVIEWS

Elrick, Spector, Peavey, Carvin,
Tone Freak, Charvel, Komet and
MORE!
I sure hope you can

fit her into one of
your coming issues.
Id love to know more
about her Sadowsky,
her rig, philosophy,
and projects. Hook us
up. Shes too cool a
presence on
the scene...
Eric Townsend
Neither Tal nor her management are anything

like jerks, rest assured! In the mixed blessing
department, your new musical crush (and you
are definitely not alone in that) is the new
hardest working woman in show business.
Great because we love her playing and
want to hear more, which is exactly whats
happening, but not great because we all
would love to learn more about all the things
you mentioned. We are still in contact with her,
and as soon as shes able to stay in one place
for a little while, well bring you the interview.
Heroes
Much thanks for the Bob Wootton feature
in the September issue. I know it may
sound strange coming from a heavy metal
player, but Bob and Don Rich were early
guitar heroes of mine. I learned note choice
and bends from Don when he was with
Buck Owens, and the most important thing

from Bob, finding your own tone. Thanks
again and keep up the great work.
Ironman37662
We couldnt resist the chance to bring
this largely unsung hero to the attention
of our readers. Influence and inspiration
is a matter of having open ears. We hope
weve inspired some more folks to open
theirs to Bob Wootton.
You Saw it Here First

I was watching a reality show the other
night and this guy had a guitar that the
neck had a hinge where it meets the guitar
body. Didnt you guys review this guitar?
Kenny Ross
Ah, yes, Shark Tank, on ABC. The Voyage-air
Guitar was featured on Week three, but we
reviewed it way back in January 2009. Go
online to revisit the review and watch the
video review at premierguitar.com. You can
also see more of builder Harvey Leachs work
in our July 2009 issue, in 5 Inlay Artists You
Should Meet.
5 NE W
LE SS ON
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SN Ea
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PE Ek :
Ma rt iN
1-S Er iES
JULY 2009
Acoustic
The
SUSTAINA
BLE
and the Tre TONE
es
RICKY
Bluegrass SKAGGS
Virtuosity
5 INLA
You ShouldY ARTISTS
Meet
ROCK N
FANTAS ROLL
The Inside Y CAMP
The Forest
Story
NEW GE
Collings, Bos AR REVIEWS

Breedlove, e, Cole Clark, Godin,
OohLaLa and
MORE
Keep those comments coming! Please send your suggestions, gripes, comments and
good words directly to info@premierguitar.com. You can also send snail mail to
Premier Guitar, Three Research Center, Marion, IA 52302. Please remember
to include your full name. Selected letters may be edited for clarity.
PREMIERG
Issue
UITAR.COM
2009 Taylor Guitars
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NEWS
Gibson Unveils a Hendrix Strat-Style
Guitar ... NOT!
Heres a sampling of the comments that

appeared at premierguitar.com:
The last week of September proved to be

an interesting week for the folks at Gibson
Guitar in Nashville, TN. First came the news
that the iconic guitar company was partnering with Janie Hendrix and Authentic
Hendrix, LLC, to produce a brand new series
of Strat-style Jimi Hendrix signature guitars.
Thats right Gibson was set to unveil
to the world a Strat-style guitar with Jimi
Hendrixs name on it.
What a disaster on both ends. If the Hendrix

estate wanted to make a few bucks on a project like this then Fender would have been the
natural choice. Gibson really blew it. Someone
sure did underestimate the Hendrix/Strat connection. But dont worry boys and girls whatever items were produced will be airbrushed
over and be sold at Guitar Center under the
Epiphone brand. Ismael
Imagine Ford announcing a new Camaro,

or Chevrolet unveiling a new Mustang
get the picture?
The fact that it was a Jimi Hendrix signature guitar almost made it palatable, but
The stunning announcement was first reported by several music news outlets, including
preimerguitar.com and musicradar.com, and
thats when things got interesting. Almost
immediately, hundreds of onliners began
leaving, shall we say, unenthusiastic remarks
in the comment sections of the web pages
announcing the news.
A New Era for PRS
Whoever conceived this is obviously lame as

far as being knowledgeable about this market.
Most likely it was conceived by out of touch
marketing folks that have no clue about [what]
they are doing...it will seriously dilute Gibsons
reputation and market image, continuing to
make it a second tier instrument company
that will never recapture the position it once
had as a premier American musical instrument
company. Lame! DK
Were coming to the end of an era, said

Paul at the Experience PRS press conference. Within a year from now, almost
everything we make except artist models
will have been changed ... almost like when
Marshall went from small logo to large logo,
Frankly, we dont really know what happened.

Maybe the contract between Authentic Hendrix
and Gibson hit a snag, or maybe some of the
corporate folks at Gibson got wind of the comments. Either way, four days later every mention
of the Gibson Hendrix Stratsincluding product
pages, press photos, disapproving comments,
etc.were gone from the companys website.
Everything had vanished into thin air. Poof!
Of course, were not rushing to judgment here.
But our assumption (hope) is that Gibson finally
received the results of all the focus groups
conducted prior to the launch of these ill-fated
guitars, whichof coursewerent favorable
and lead to the decision to pull the plug on the
whole enchilada. Thats what good marketing
departments do, right?
ATTENTION GIBSON: It has come to our attention that the brown acid circulating around is not
good. Under no circumstances should guitars be
designed after taking the brown acid! D-Day
Or maybe it was all just a dream?
or when Fender went from blackface to silverface, though I hope not with those long
term connotations, Smith said with a smile.
The company is also discontinuing the colors

Blue Matteo, Tortoise Shell, Orange, Scarlet Red,
Black Sunburst, Natural, Vintage Yellow and Gray
Black. As of January 1, the famous paisley amp
pattern will also be discontinued.
The new models feature a new headstock

design that departs from the Paul Reed Smith
signature. The 25th anniversary models feature a silhouette of the companys famous
eagle symbol with a small 25th logo.
In a surprising announcement at Experience

PRS, PRS Guitars discontinued 13 models and
a number of finish options in their product line.
This year, the company is celebrating their 25th
anniversary, and is releasing 11 new 25th anniversary models.
This is wrong on so many levels. The guy in

charge must not have a shred of class. I cant
believe it. This is a new low for the Gibson
company. Teddy Bear
The models discontinued as of September 29 are:

Custom 22
Swamp Ash Special
CU22/12
ME 2
513 MT
SC 245
SC 250
Sunburst 22
Sunburst 245
HB I
SC HB I
513 STD
Santana MD
Have an opinion?
Click here to add your comment to the near
300 opinions voiced on the news article on
premierguitar.com
New models include many 25th anniversary

variations of the discontinued models:
25th Modern Eagle II
25th Modern Eagle III
25th Santana
25th 305 Limited Edition (305 pieces)
25th Hollowbody II CB
25th Singlecut Hollowbody II CB
25th Swamp Ash Special - NF
25th Custom
25th McCarty - NF
25th SC 245
25th 513 MT
25th Mira 245
New finishes are Black Slate, Fire Red Burst,
Matteo Mist, Charcoal Burst, Evergreen (with
natural back), and Grandma Hannon Pink (305
and 513 Swamp Ash only).
Two Cool New iPhone Tab Apps

This month, two exciting new iPhone/iTouch
apps were released, each providing their own
unique way of presenting tab.
Tab Toolkit
From the makers of the popular Guitar Toolkit,
Tab Toolkit supports Guitar Pro and Power
Tab, as well as text and PDF with more limited
features. You can upload tab files directly from
your computer, or download them from the
web using a browser in the app.
Once downloaded, Guitar Pro and Power
Tab files scroll across the screen at a userdetermined tempo with a fretboard graphic
showing finger positions at the bottom of
the display. An audio synthesizer plays the
corresponding sounds. The display adapts to
either portrait or landscape configurations.
Other features of Tab Toolkit include a metronome, tracks for guitar, bass or piano, and
a lefty mode. Text and PDF versions of tab
are viewable, but lack the scrolling and audio
capabilities of the other formats. The application is available on iTunes for $9.99.
agilepartners.com/apps/tabtoolkit/
Jammit
Jammit is a notation tool for guitar, drums and
bass that puts every track of a song at your
fingertips. Going beyond just a tab delivery
device, Jammit uses master recordings to
allow you to isolate the track youre trying to
learn and either remove it from the mix or listen to it alone. This function of the app, which
uses graphical sliders to select the levels of
each part, gives the user a unique perspective
on each part, and can help you hear the notes
and tones in a way never before possible.
Once you select how you want to listen to

the accompanying track, you can set the tab
to scroll at whatever speed youd likewithout distorting the audioand even loop
parts that youd like to try again. The application also features a record function so you
can record your part in with the master tracks
of the included songs.
Jammit is releasing multiple versions of
the app packed with three songs each for
$6.99 on iTunes.
jammit.com
Welcome a Future Gearhead
Premier Guitar would like to welcome future gearhead Madelyn Elise
Ireland to the PG family. Weighing in
just under Les Paul heft at 8lbs, 4oz,
Madelyn features a short 21.25" scale.
33
The editors of
offer up some unsolicited opinions about guitars and six-string life.

Hamer Giveaway Winner Donates Guitar The winner of a Hamer guitar on a Seymour
Duncan forum contest donated his prize to another forum member battling cancer. We continue to be
surprised and touched by the generosity and solidarity of the online guitar community that were proud
to be part of.
Satriani vs. Coldplay Dismissed The case was dismissed following an undisclosed
agreement. Best part? It was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it can never be brought
again. At long last, it is dead.
Gibson Announces Then Unannounces Hendrix Signature Strat-Style

Guitars We presume they took the guitars down because someone at Gibson finally
came to their senses. But it is a presumption.
First Its not a new phenomenon, but for those of you inanely commenting First every
time we post a new demo or interview to YouTube, we get it... youre sooooo cool.
Fender Develops Full-Scale Strat Rock Band Controller At least its not Gibson
developing a full-scale Strat Rock Band Controller.
WEBWHISPERS
A sampling of what weve heard on

premierguitar.com in the past month
These guys are the backbone of live shows. The amount of

work that is needed to prep the stage, repair and get the gear
ready, and be on hand, and sometimes second guess what
to do is in itself nothing short of amazing. My hat goes off to
you guys, as well as you Chad. Great article and I am looking
forward to future installments.
c.blondin on Becoming a Guitar Tech,
October 09 Web Exclusive
Unmitigated audacity
Is it April 1st already?
Dawg, on Gibson Unveils
Strat-Style Jimi Hendrix
Signature Line (Daily News)
Peace Love VAI...

Troy, on Steve Vai: The Man
Behind the Icon, October 09
Bill Piburn is one of the most brillant artists and thinkers of the guitar. His arrangement are first-class! Thank you for having Mr. Piburn
contribute to your magazine...in the Fingerstyle guitar world, you
could not find a better contributor to you magazine.
John McClellan on W.C. Handys Classic Saint
Louis Blues for Solo Guitar, September, 09
Roger Marek, on Gibson

Unveils Strat-Style Jimi
Hendrix Signature Line
(Daily News)
Owning both a Zendrive and

a Mosferatu, its really cool to
see Alf getting the credit he
deserves. Those pedals will
never leave my board.
GuitarToma, on Builder Profile: Hermida
Audio Technology, October 09
Comments from the web are not edited for grammar.

Want to see yours in PG? Get on premierguitar.com and say smart stuff.
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Orianthi zooms Steve.
Handy Video Recorder. Whos zoomin you?

Steve Vai and Orianthi. Two of our favorite world-class guitar virtuosos.
2009 Zoom | Photo by Neil Zlozower | soundmakesthemovie.com | zoomfx.com
MEDIA
Preview
By Gabriel J. Hernandez, Chris Kies, Gayla Drake Paul
BOOKS
Travelin Man: On the Road and

Behind the Scenes With Bob Seger
Solo Sessions: Chet Atkins
Three things you need to know: Chet Atkins,
solo guitar, and clean, readable transcriptions.
This book contains a simple, easy-to-digest
collection of some of Chets most popular solo
guitar tunes, transcribed by John McClellan
and Deyan Bratic, and interspersed with some
charming drawings of Chet by BriAnn Wassman.
The introduction is blessedly short and to the
point; less chat, more Chet. Disc information is
included for most of the songs, which means
you can head to the Chet section of your CD
collection to listen to the songs before leaping in and attempting to play them. The CD
included also contains one piece of music, the
Courante from Bachs French Suite No. 1 in
C minor. Chet never released the recording,
which makes this a world premiere. The playing
is lovely, and the idea of Bach being played by
Chet on electric guitar makes me chuckle.
Most of the tunes are traditional, either old
folk tunes or classical pieces, with a couple of
old standards thrown in for fun. What other
player in history could get away with Arkansas
Traveler and Maleguenas in the same collection? There are a couple of Joplin pieces (Scott,
not Janis), and even a little Dvork. You have
to respect somebody that can take that much
musical territory and put his own stamp on it.
This book is a must for Chetophiles. Its a
splendid way to show just what the original
Certified Guitar Player was capable of
with two hands and a gittar. GDP
List $25
chetatkinssolosessions.com
Canyon of Dreams: The Magic and

the Music of Laurel Canyon
This is a huge, heavy book thats loaded with
photos relating to the musical history of a
California nexuspoint where music thrived
and the party didnt end for the better part of
three decades. Laurel Canyon native Harvey
Kubernik tells the story lovingly through his
memories and interviews with still-living denizens of the Canyons glory days. Unabashed
about the whole sex, drugs and rock and roll
theme, it manages to avoid becoming tawdry
while acknowledging it as a fact of life.
It is an engaging and comprehensive tome,
yet at times the stories cut off rather abruptly
and youre left shifting gears before youre
ready. The writing style is also a little rough,
and at times the author uses devices that dont
quite work. He usually gets the point across,
but sometimes you have to read things over
a couple times to get it. But being treated to
such an intimate look at the workings of the
patch of real estate that brought us the likes of
Jackie Deshannon, Frank Zappa, The Monkees,
Buffalo Springfield, CSN&Y, Joni Mitchell,
Carole King, the LA Wrecking Crew, Jackson
Browne, Sonny and Cher, Glen Campbell and
the Doors (to name a tiny fraction), is a pleasure
you dont have to feel guilty about. GDP
List $30
sterlingpublishing.com
Bob Seger was all over the radio when I was

growing up; hes the biggest rock star that
was never in your facebut he was always in
your ears.
Travelin Man: On the Road and Behind
the Scenes with Bob Seger is a photo-rich
tribute by photographer Tom Weschler and
music journalist Gary Graff, who traveled
and worked closely with Seger during the
late 60s and through the 70s. It chronicles
Segers career from the very earliest babyfaced incarnationThe Bob Seger System
through what ultimately evolved into The
Silver Bullet Band, including his brief time
as a solo singer-songwriter, which Seger
describes as, like Simon and Garfunkel without Garfunkel. The story is told with many
photos and few words; there are short little
memories of moments and events, but not
lengthy stories or gig-by-gig reflections. The
captions are a bit sparse, and sometimes its
not too clear who the people in the photos
are, but then you remind yourself that this is
about Bob Seger in the 70s, and it all makes
perfect sense. The booze, drugs and women
stories are kept to a minimum, seemingly
because thats the sort of stuff that goes
without saying, and as a result of that,
Weschler and Graff end up telling a far more
compelling story by allowing the reader to
craft up their own descriptive captions.
The forward and afterward are written by
John Mellencamp and Kid Rock respectively,
and theres a very complete discography at
the end. GDP
List $27.95
wsupress.wayne.edu
Contemporary Classic
The Traynor all-tube YSC50 truly delivers the best
of all worlds. Versatile voicing options switch
between modern American tones to classic British
sounds at the touch of a button.
Versatile Voicing Switches

(USA/Brit, Modern, Scoop & Expander)
Defeatable Presence and Resonance
Controls for the tone purist
Selectable Output Modes
(50-watt Class- A/B or 15-watt Class-A)
Separate In-line & Parallel Effects Loops
Speaker Compensated XLR Direct Output
Celestion Speakers
Solid Plywood Cabinet Construction
Made in Canada
Visit www.traynoramps.com for more information on the YCS50 or any Traynor product.
Distributed in north america by Yorkville Sound
MEDIA
Preview
Videos
Red Hot Chili

Peppers:
Me and My
Friends
Every family has
one. You know,
that inconspicuous
lens-snapper who never stops taking pictures
even during the most obvious of inappropriate times. But with all these ill-timed and
obnoxiously private photos, youre able to
capture real people and real emotions. And
thats just what rock photographer Tony
Woolliscroft does in Red Hot Chili Peppers:
Me and My Friends.
Woolliscroft has been documenting the
band through his still lens all over the world
for nearly 20 years, capturing them at their
most vulnerable times. For instance, when
the Peppers reunited with long-time guitarist
John Frusciante in 1998, he shot the band
in a pre-show huddle that was later used on
the Californication sleeve. And of course, we
cant forget the bands legendary get-ups,
or lack thereof, which includes the tube sock
incident at the Nassau Coliseum, flaming hats
at Lollapalooza 92 and the light bulb outfits
at muddy Woodstock 94.
The book is chronologically laid out with
sections dedicated to the Peppers albums
Mothers Milk through Stadium Arcadium
and the resulting tours. Mixed in between
the collection of photos, Woolliscroft adds
some personally intimate anecdotes that add
another layer to the visually-driven book.
Some of the stories weaved between photos
include having to crash on the Peppers hotel
floor, By the Way recording sessions with Rick
Rubin and the record-breaking three consecutive sold-out shows at Londons Hyde Park.
With over 300 photos on 225 pages, Me and
My Friends provides a confidential look at a
group of exuberant characters. With his nearobtrusive clearance inside the Peppers lives,
Woolliscroft tears down the rock star fantasy
and exposes four friends whove been on a
musical journey for over 20 years. CK
List $24.95
abramsbooks.com
B.B. King: Live

at Montreux
1993 Blu-ray
Anybody thats
seen B.B. King in
concert knows the
man can play the
blues. After all, the King of the Blues was practically born with a Gibson ES-345 in his hands.
Add the fact that hes been performing live for
the better part of the last 60 years and you get
the makings of a timeless performer that knows
how to work his way around a stage.
Unfortunately, working his way around a stage
has become somewhat of a problem for the
84-year-old legend, as he now takes a seat for
most of his performances. He still, however,
maintains a rigorous touring schedule that rivals
many of todays much younger musicians. And
of course, he continues to deliver the same
awe-inspiring blues guitar playing that made
Englishmen the likes of Page, Clapton, Beck
and Richards first pick up a guitar.
All of this makes us appreciate B.B. King
Live at Montreux 1993 that much more. No
one knows for sure how many times King
has played the renowned Swiss festival, but
suffice to say the number is more than 20.
Fortunately, B.B. King Live at Montreux 1993
captures one of the best ever. His band revs
it up like an old-time blues revue, warming
up the crowd with three standards before the
Kingdazzling in his beautiful blue and pink
paisley tuxedo jackettakes the stage to a
thunderous reception. His band is as tight as
it gets, but the show is all King and his flawless, amazing guitar playing. From the stirring
Let The Good Times Roll to the classic
Caledonia to the incomparable The Thrill is
Gone, King delivers a vibrant and eclectic mix
of classic blues that only he can deliver.
So grab yourself a cold one, pop this into your
Blu-ray player and watch the King do his thing.
For this is certainly the teachers finest hour. GH
List $24.98
eaglerockent.com
The Moody
Blues: Live
at the Isle of
Wight Festival
1970
Whether youre a fan
of the rock fusion
symphonic group
that so proudly
incorporated the flute or not, you have to
acknowledge the role they played influencing
musical styles by meshing rock and classical
music in a way that has sold over 50 million
albums worldwide. And in 1970, The Moody
Blues were in the midst of a creative and
commercial high point riding on the success
of A Question of Balance.
This DVD features the renowned 1970 Moody
Blues performance in front of more than
a half million people at the Isle of Wight
Festival, which was previously only available
on CD. However, unlike the CD, the DVD
only features 10 tracks from the set because
some of the video footage has been lost.
That said, the existing tracks include Ride
My See Saw, Tuesday Afternoon and the
epic Nights in White Satin. While the audio
and video are rawguitarist Justin Heyward
admits thisthey provide a true nostalgic
representation of the historic festival, and the
Moodys wide spectrum of tones can still be
fully appreciated. Also, the band does delineate from some of the traditional recordings
and song structures for improvisation, but
they still crank out their hits note for note. Its
a pleasant mix for avid and new fans alike.
After the concert, the DVD includes 20 minutes of contemporary interviews from four
band membersexcluding flautist/vocalist
Ray Thomaswho fondly reflect on their Isle
of Wight performance. The best part is when
pianist and technical contributor Michael
Pinder describes and walks through the mellotron featured all over Moody records and
performances. All and all, this is a great offering that accurately captures an early incarnation of the Moodies at a pinnacle. CK
List $14.98
eaglerockent.com
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PREMIERGUITAR NOVEMBER 2009
45
HOT LINKS
The Public Record:

Tommy lees New Interactive Recording Project
No matter your personal opinion on the
matter, its undeniable that music consumption has changed drastically in the digital
age. Gone are the days of bringing home an
LP and leisurely listening to it until its worn
out and scratchy. Now, some amount of
interactivity is expectedeven demanded
of music. The Public Record, a cool, new
recording project with Motley Crues Tommy
Lee, is capitalizing on this interactivity.
in video segments where Tommy hears the

submissions and gives his opinion.
The site also features video recording tips
from Tommy Lee and Humphrey ranging
from simple micing ideas to more complex ideas. Humphrey says they have more
than 50 videos of recording advice to help
those who are interested in submitting
their own tracks.
The Public Record is the brainchild of

Humphrey, who says there are more artists
on board to carry on this challenge once
Tommy Lees project has wrapped. The
album, titled Public Mayhem, is expected
to be finished in Spring 2010.
Sumbit your tracks at thepublicrecord.com
In todays digital world, interactivity takes

on many forms. We can watch our music
be made through reality shows, blogs and
DVDs. Those without musical skills can
play along on drums, guitars or vocals
thanks to games like Guitar Hero and Rock
Band. We can mash up and remix to our
hearts content with the accessibility of
digital files and audio editing programs.
This interactivity had previously reached its
pinnacle in 2008 when Radiohead released
stems of tracks from their In Rainbows
album for fans to remix and upload.
Now, picking up where Radiohead left
off, is Tommy Lee and his producer Scott
Humphrey. Dubbed, the first large-scale,
truly interactive recording process, The
Public Record gives the public the tools to
craft Tommy Lees new record with their own
instruments and styles. Instead of releasing
stems of a finished record Radiohead-style,
Tommy is releasing stems of his in-progress
record, inviting musicians and fans to contribute their own parts. If a part is good
enough, it could make the finished product.
Theyre even open to the idea of replacing
Tommy Lee: Well be willing to put other
people on drums if the submission is
great, says producer Humphrey.
Tracks will be released for all types of
softwarePro Tools, Garage Band, etc
along with an iPhone application version
and simpler video versions for those
who just want to play along via webcam.
Submissions will be taken for guitar, bass,
drums, vocals and any other instruments
that someone may contribute. The best
(and a few of the worst) will be showcased
TONE TIPS FROM THE ROAD
PETER STROUD
Pedalzzzzz
the endless streams of em. Cant get enough
it seems, always in search of new and cool
effects, and there never seems to be a shortage
of new innovations, as well as improvements
on sounds were already familiar with. Many
that I come across arent always new to the
market, but rather ones Ive just come around
to discovering and spending time with. Here are

four current notable pedals in my collection or
on my pedalboard well worth sharing.
Electro-Harmonix #1 Echo
A simple, all-around and great-sounding 3-knob
delay that tucks firmly in your tone. But its even
more of a pleasant surprise to find that thats
not all it has going for it. Turn the feedback all
the way up, and it creates an infinite repeat
that does not regenerate and amplify into an
exploding racket. Its a great effect to have, but
the Deluxe Memory Man already does that trick
splendidly. Instead, the #1 Echo allows you to
keep stacking riffs on top of each other, sound
on sound style that will stack and repeat
indefinitely. If you want, screw with the repeats
by giving a quick twist to the speed knob, and
itll repeat that action as well. But again, the
key thing is that it sounds gooda digital delay
with analog warmth. It has become a mainstay
on my pedalboard.
ehx.com
Janglebox Compression/Sustain
This compressor has been out for a while, but
Ive just discovered it in recent months and
have been using it quite a bit. It seems you
can never have enough compressors, and this
one has inked out a spot of its own. If youre
looking for the super jangly tone la the Byrds
Roger McGuinns Rickenbacker 12-string, this
stompbox will be all you need (along with a
12-string Rick, of course). Also think Ticket to
Ride. It compresses hard with plenty of gain
and perfect amount of pick attack, and has a
three-way tone switch that I leave on Bright the
majority of the time. It sounds like your bestrecorded, super-compressed guitar, without
any weird, cruddy compression artifacts. Ive
noticed theyve come out with the JB2, with
additional controls for tone, gain and attack.
Added extra fun.
janglebox.com
Pigtronix Attack Sustain
Pigtronix is no doubt one of the most cuttingedge effects pedal companies out there, and
this box will have you dialing up amazing sounds
for hoursfrom smooth, long compression to

aggressive lead anger. Completely analog, and
designed by yesteryear Electro-Harmonix legend
Howard Davis, the control is very reminiscent
of ADSR synth attack/decay setting. You can
slow down the attack to create a reverse effect,
ramping attacks with a sharp or slow drop off on
decay. Also, the Decay control will create unique
tremolo effects. There is a Harmonix control that
dials in the overtones and distortion. Sit this control on top of an already powerful amp distortion, and you can create a galactic space battle
from the year 3000.
pigtronix.com
Red Witch Pentavocal Tremolo
One of New Zealands greatest treasures and
exports comes from Ben Fulton, who offers
an extraordinary line of pedal designs. Ive
been hearing about Bens pedals for years,
in particular his Deluxe Moon Phaser (which
Ive still yet to hear but understand to be the
bomb.) Eventually, I met and spent time with
Ben while touring New Zealand in 2008 and
bought one of his Pentavocal Trem pedals,
which has proven to be quite versatile, practical and excellent sounding. The key standout
feature of his tremolo is the 5-way Rotary
Selectorfrom subtle trem shapes to deep,
pulsating tremolo. The Bottom control allows
it to range from a full trem to merely pulsating
the lower frequencies and keeping the top
end of your signal clear and unaffected. Also,
theres a Volume control to recover any level
lost with the trem affect. This one is very useful and another mainstay on my pedalboard.
redwitchanalogpedals.com
Peter stroud
Peter is co-founder of 65amps.

sherylcrow.com
65amps.com
ON TRACK
RICH TOZZOLI
Mixing in the Box

Mixing in the Box is a well-worn production
term that has countless opinions attached,
both good and bad. So this month, lets take
a look at exactly what it means and talk to
a few professionals in the field about their
experiences with it.
With the advent of well-developed DAWs
(Digital Audio Workstations), high-resolution
audio and powerful computers, Mixing in
the Box (MITB) has taken on a new reality.
Whereas traditional mixes were done using
only a hardware console, many of todays
engineers, composers, producers and artists
now choose to bypass that method and keep
all or most of it inside the computer.
Programs such as Digidesigns Pro Tools,
Steinbergs Cubase, Apples Logic, MOTUs
Digital Performer and others include fully
developed software mixers that allow for an
arsenal of software plug-ins and instruments
to be applied. From vintage EQs and compressors to high-end reverbs, guitar amps,
processors, delays, and almost anything else
you can think of, theyre all available right
onscreenwith no cables to worry about.
Sure, some sound better than others, but the
point is there is a lot of power at the fingertips of an MITB mixer. Another important feature is the ability to recall a mix 100 percent
as you last left it, right down to the latest EQ
knob twist, allowing you to tweak until you
get it right (which may be never).
When combined with a hardware interface,
(such as a Pro Tools 192 I/0), you can also
choose to mix and match by inserting your
favorite outboard gear into the audio. For
example, I have a Manley Massive Passive
hardware EQ that I place on my Pro Tools mix
bus, allowing me to get some high-end tube
warmth into the signal path. Ill often place a
stereo tube compressor into the signal path
as well (or sometimes just on a channel or
two within the mix). Some mixers also choose
to use a fader-based control surface, which
gives them a good ol console feel.
The use of summing mixers is another option
that combines in-the-box and analog hardware
mixing. For example, the Dangerous Music
2-BUS offers 16 channels in with two channels
out. This then allows you to output up to 16
Dangerous Music 2-BUS analog summing mixer
channels from your DAW into the analog mixer

and sum it to a final stereo mix. Many claim
this adds more analog punch and creates wider
mixes with more depth. Again, theres no shortage of opinions in our business, so its important that you judge for yourself.
To get some industry veterans takes on
the matter, I spoke with D. James Goodwin
(Norah Jones, The Bravery) and Grammy
winner Bob Power (Erykah Badu, A Tribe
Called Quest, Macy Gray). MITB has completely revolutionized the way I mix, noted
Goodwin, I have fewer technical boundaries now, and the ability to mix remotely with
almost complete recall has made it easier for
me to really be more creative. Most importantly, its presented me with a completely
new way of working, which has been a welcome challenge to old habits and patterns.
My mixes have become much more adventurous since I made the change. Power added,
I like being able to work on something else,
get some fresh perspective, and then come
back at the touch of a button to where I left
off. Keep in mind that I do have an analog
stereo bus chain, but recall is all of ninety
seconds. Also, in terms of ease of use, a
huge benefit is that recalls are almost instantaneous. Although given the natural creative
insecurities that are almost always a component of artistry, the bad thing is also that
recalls are more instantaneous.
When I asked them what they dont like
about MITB, Powers said, I think that we
all have to stop complaining, it doesnt
sound the same. Of course! Its something
different. So work with that different, and

make it appealing within that framework. The
tools get better and better all the time. We
need to get better at using them. Goodwin
added, My biggest dislike is that things
change so rapidly in terms of software and
platforms. I feel like I am constantly trying to
keep up with various performance upgrades,
and it takes a lot of time to stay on top of it.
Also, I dont like the tremendous amounts of
data I now have to deal with.
But my favorite part is the ability to really
manipulate things quite easily and extensively, continued Goodwin. Much to my
surprise, I have also enjoyed mixing more visually. I can almost sit and visualize how things
work together, and I have more opportunity
to refine certain ideas because I can work a bit
more efficiently. Frankly, I also love the ability
to insert five API 2500 compressor plug-ins
and have it sound pretty damn good without
having five units in a rack behind me.
Powers puts it a bit more blunt: Wake up,
everybody. Just like the holdouts when MIDI
first came around, youd be unbelievably
shortsighted not to accept that this is not
simply the future. The future is now!
Rich Tozzoli
Rich is a producer, engineer and mixer who has worked

with artists ranging from Al DiMeola to David Bowie . A
life-long guitarist, hes also the auther of Pro Tools Surround
Sound Mixing and composes for such networks as Discovery
Channel, Nickelodeon and National Geographic.
SHIFTING GEAR
RICH ECKHARDT
Sharing the Stage with Mark Gillespie

Im in the midst of another touring season, and
once again I have the distinct pleasure of sharing the stage with two of Nashvilles best pickers, Brian Wooten and Mark Gillespie of Trace
Adkins. I talked to them about their gear, their
influences and how they got where they are,
and Ill cover each of these amazing guitarists
in separate columns. This month, well focus
on Mark Gillespie. Ill share my chat with Brian
Wooten in next months column.
circuit boards. Theyre easy to fix and just keep

on going. The Pro Reverb has two 12" Weber
speakers. I put those in about four years ago,
and they made a huge difference. Ted Weber
just passed away in August. He was a great guy
and a friend to a lot of us musicians, and Ill
miss him for sure.
Thats a lot of gig time! How long have you

been playing with Trace?
I began working with Trace on Mar. 3, 2004. Its
been a good gig with some good guys in the band.
Mark, you and I have been friends for

almost 15 years, and weve played together with a respectable number of artists. But
this is the first time weve gotten to travel
together on a major tour. Ive seen you play
several different axes over the years. What
guitars are you playing with Trace?
Right now, I have three electrics, one acoustic
and one mandolin out on the road with me.
For my main single-coil guitar, Im using my
89 Strat with Lace Sensor Gold pickupsit
has that great Strat sound that I love. For the
songs that I need Humbuckers on, Im using
my PRS Modern Eagle. That guitar is a beast!
I also have a Taylor electric model with three
single-coil pickups. My acoustic is a Taylor
GS7 with their Expression pickup system. Its
the most natural-sounding pickup system Ive
used. It is a great instrument. My Mandolin is
a Gibson F5-L thats about 10 years old with a
Fishman pickup. I feel lucky to have a Charlie
Derrington-signed model.
What pedals do you use?
I really learned a lot. I still have great friends

there. I moved to Nashville in 1995 and Ive
worked with several steady bands, like Steve
Azar, Noel Haggard, Keith Urban, Claudia
Church, Paul Brandt, Chalee Tennison, whom I
married, and Kellie Coffey.
What was the first song you can remember

learning on the guitar, and how old were
you when you first started playing?
Wildwood Flower on acoustic and Johnny
B. Goode on electric. I was in the eighth
grade, so I was 13 years old.
Do you play any other instruments?
I play the Mandolin, and a little bit of Dobro.
Do you own any rare or vintage guitars?
Trace Adkins and Mark Gillespie
How do you and Brian decide who will play

which part live?
Thats really easy to do; we just kind of split it
up between us. I usually play the main acoustic
parts, if there are any. Trace digs the two electric thing, which is really fun and a big sound.
I have a mid-30s Dobro and a mid-70s

ES-335. Are 70s model guitars vintage yet? I
also have an early Fender Custom Shop Tele.
Its the Buckaroo model.
Well Mark, it sounds like youre keeping
busy. Im so glad to have you out with us
on tour this year.
Thanks Rich!
Ive been using a lot of Jim Dunlop pedals

lately. I just added an MXR Carbon Copy delay,
which I just leave on a slap-back setting. I also
added a MXR Dyna Comp and overdrive. My
other pedals are a Boss Blues Driver, Crybaby
wah, Boss DD-5 delay and an Ernie Ball volume
pedal. I tend to try different distortion pedals
oftenI just always seem to be looking.
What amps are you running all that through?
The main amp Ive been using for the past
several years is a 65 Fender Pro Reverb. It
has been a great workhorse very reliable. I
love those old amps with hand wiring and no
You and I have always worked well together when we play in the same band because
we approach the instrument so differently.
Who are your influences?
Well, Ive been playing since I was about 13, so
Ive had quite a few influences over the years. My
main ones would be Willie Nelson, James Burton,
Steve Lukather, Larry Carlton, Robben Ford,
Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tony Rice and Sam Bush.
What other bands have you played with?
Before I moved to Nashville, I lived in Destin,
FL, and I worked in some house bands where
Next month, well hear from Brian Wooten, the

stage-right side of this axe-slinging team.
Till then, keep jammin.
Rich Eckhardt
Rich Eckhardt is one of the most sought-after guitarists in

Nashville. His ability to cover multiple styles has put him on
stage with singers ranging from Steven Tyler of Aerosmith to
Shania Twain. Rich is currently playing lead guitar with Toby
Keith. His latest CD, Cottage City Firehouse is available online
at CDbaby.com or at richeckhardt.com
My tone. My cable.
Do cables really impact guitar tone?
Cables can distort the sound of your

guitar by pushing the mids up and
turning the highs down. Elixir Cables
feature a unique cable technology that
fixes this problem by delivering the
lowest capacitance and truest voice
of your guitar.
www.elixircables.com
ON BASS
DAn BERKOwITZ
Get To Know Your Bass Amp, Part 1

Sometimes some bass-player amp knowledge
can pay off in multiple ways. At band rehearsal a few weeks ago, our little PA head started
acting up. It worked fine for a few minutes,
but then it started to get fuzzy sounding and
finally faded to nothing. We swapped out mic
cords, but the gremlin kept resurfacing. After
a while, I found out that the amp was set in
bridge mode, a way of combining its two
power amps into a single amp that produces
more power than either one alone.
However, that amp section of the PA was
rated at a minimum impedance of 8 ohms
in bridge mode. Unfortunately, we had two
8-ohm cabs plugged in, which created a
4-ohm load. Aha! There was the cause of
our problem. We switched the head out of
bridge mode, plugged one PA speaker into
each power amp, and the rest of the night
was trouble free.
Because most bass amps are solid state
rather than filled with lovely glowing tubes,
a bass players knowledge tends to be different from what a guitarist needs to knowthis
impedance mismatch problem was just one
of the things that gets caught quickly by the
alert bass player, but might not dawn on a
guitarist. Ive run across a bunch of these little amp tidbits over the years that have more
in common with the bass world, but also have
utility for guitar amps and PAs, and thats the
point of these next few columns.
Choose your bass cabs wisely!
In the bass world, there are 8-ohm cabs and
4-ohm cabs, and a bassist is often mixing
and matching cabs for a specific gig setting,
typically going for combinations of 10" and
15" speakers that can fill the room with the
sound youre after. There are pretty efficient
cabs that put out a lot of sound for the power
theyre fed, and there are far less efficient cabs
that put out a particularly beefy low end.
Thats the bassists first challenge: getting the
right combination of cabs to keep an amp
happy and produce the sound youre after.
Combining speakers can result in a different
impedance load depending on whether theyre

connected in series or parallel. Most amps run
down to a 4-ohm load, and a few can handle
two ohms. Check your amp and cabs before
plugging things together or you might run into
a shut-down situation from overheating.
In the bass world,

there are 8-ohm cabs
and 4-ohm cabs, and a
bassist is often mixing
and matching cabs for
a specific gig setting ...
Your goal as a bassist is
to keep your amp happy
by matching your cabs
to your amps rating.
Fortunately, almost all bass amps connect
speakers in parallel, and this doesnt change
whether youre plugging two cabs into an
amp or daisy-chaining one cab onto the back
of the next. The equation for speakers connected in parallel is a bit of new math, so
that 8 + 8 = 4 and 4 + 4 = 2. Just to keep
things messy, 8 + 4 = 2.67.
What this means is that to keep your amp
happy, you need to keep the speaker load at
or above its minimum rating. An amp rated

to a minimum 4-ohm load can do fine with a
higher total impedance, such as 8 or even 16.
At those higher loads, a solid-state amp just
puts out less power. For example, an amp
rated at 400 watts at 4 ohms might produce
only 250 watts at 8 ohms. Conversely, an amp
rated at 400 watts at 4 ohms would likely
shut down if its run at 2 ohms.
Your goal as a bassist is to keep your amp
happy by matching your cabs to your amps
rating. And you want to keep your cabs
happy, too. Its perfectly safe to run a cab
rated at 250 watts RMS maximum with an
amp that can put out 400 wattsas long as
its not continuously putting out that much
power. In other words, theres no need to
match cab and amp ratings exactly. In fact,
using an underpowered amp can cause more
problems since it will be straining just to put
out distorted sound waves that might be fine
for a guitar amp, but spelling doom for a
solid-state bass rig.
Stay tuned for more. In the next installment,
well talk about cables, gain staging and EQs.
Dan Berkowitz
Dan is a professor by day and a bass player when the sun

goes down. He plays both electric and upright bass in
blues, jazz and pit settings.
GUITAR TRACKS
JEff HOLLmAn
Too Many Pedals?

A guitarist can never have too many pedals,
right? We all love pedals for everything from
distortion (who doesnt have 10 different
distortion stompboxes?) to special effects
(like that one special, strange flanger we use
for that one song we play live once a year) to
pedals for tuning, routing and even switching
channels on our amps. After all, more is better, right? Who am I to argue against that?
From time to time, though, reality does
come into play. If you have so many pedals
on stage that theres no longer any room for
you, your vocalist, and your bass player to
move around, or if you need a GPS just to
find your sparkle-green chorus before the
verse of the song kicks in, then its time to
take actionbefore they replace you with
a keyboard player. Even I will admit (grudgingly) that maybe you can have too many
pedals in your life.
Of course, pedals are fun to collect and play
through. Compared to guitars and amps,
theyre usually a cheap and fun purchase.
Plus, they make great gifts for us on birthdays and holidays, so its not our fault weve
collected so many over the years. Having a
large selection of pedals to work with while
recording is also wonderful for spurring
creativity and coming up with new sounds.
When you play live, less is usually better
for your sound, your performance and your
bands show. Tripping and falling as you try to
switch 10 different pedals for every change
does not make for a cool vibe or even a
good show ... well, it might be fun for the
audience, but there has to be a better way.
One obvious solution is to use a multi-effect
pedalboard when playing live. It might not
sound quite as good as 25 of your boutique,
handwired pedals, but the multi-effects units
that have been coming out over the last few
years sound amazing. The benefit of pressing
one pedal to change all your effects to the next
song can be worth it alone. Plus, you can still
bring out a few of your key stompboxes and use
them along with a main multi-effect processor.
Rack multi-effects units can be even better

for clearing out the foot clutter, but unless
you have a personal guitar tech off stage
changing presets for you, the best way to
control a rack unit is still with floor pedals.
Controller foot pedals can vary from compact
If you have so many

pedals on stage that
theres no longer any
room for you, your
vocalist, and your bass
player to move around, or
if you need a GPS just to
find your sparkle-green
chorus before the verse
of the song kicks in, then
its time to take action.
two-button switching for up-and-down preset
selection to larger MIDI-based units such as
the Voodoo Lab Ground Control Pro, which
has 15 switches and an LED display, and can
control up to eight different devices (effects
units, pedals, amps, etc.) all via MIDI. One
pedal to rule them all!
Some rack and pedal multi-effect units (such

as the G-Major 2 and the G-system from
TC Electronic) can also control your amps
channel switching, replacing the need for a
separate amp channel-selector pedal in your
rig. Even cooler, the G-Major 2 can save the
appropriate amp channel along with each
preset, so when you change your preset to
the next sound your amp is switched to the
clean or lead channel as appropriate. How
awesome is that?
Finally, organizing your pedals for live use is an
important step in making your playing easier. Im
often amazed at the duct-taped plywood (even
cardboard sometimes!) contraptions I see guitarist dragging from place to place. Yes, spending
money on a pedalboard is not as exciting as
buying a new stompbox, but currently there are
many affordable solutions from BOSS, Furman,
Pedaltrain, and other manufacturers.
Lets not forget about powering your pedals.
A bunch of power supplies with cables running to two power strips is not the best solution, nor is changing the 9V batteries on a
dozen pedals each night. Some pedalboards
include integrated power distribution, while
others do not; BOSS, Voodoo Lab, and Visual
Sound all provide great solutions that daisychain from one pedal to the next and can
easily power your new pedalboard.
I think everyone will agree that having a
variety of pedals is a good thing; which
effects each of us choose is part of what
makes us each different and unique guitarists.
However, by choosing wisely what you bring
with you when you play, you can play betterand keep your mind on your playing, not
on a pedal tap dance! Play on ...
Jeff Hollman
Jeff Hollman is the married father of two girls, knows his

way around the recording studio, and is still involved in live
sound on a weekly basis. He has been a Sales Engineer at
Sweetwater for eight years, and can be reached at 800222-4700 x1285 or at jeff_hollman@sweetwater.com
EgnaterAmps.com
Once every decade or so

an amp comes around that changes the landscape. Its when
innovation and design join to give you tonal nirvana. Bruce
Egnaters newest masterpiece, the Renegade , is that amp.
Visit your nearest dealer to play one

and find out why its that good.
65/18 watts all tube

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Studio quality reverb
2nd master volume
Record output
Available as head,
1x12, 2x12 and
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Handcuffs not included
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Renegade is a registered trademark.
ACOUSTIC SOUNDBOARD
DICK BOAK
The Soul of A Guitar

Many religions subscribe to the belief that only
humans have souls. I dont believe that for a
second. Look into the eyes of any living being,
and you will see the definite presence of
hyper-awareness, consciousness and struggle.
Ill go much further to suggest that plants and
trees, though perhaps not aware, are striving
and struggling in their environments. Most
simply, they are living and breathing entities.
When a tree dies, either naturally, by lightening, or felled by a saw, the trunk provides us
with the precious wood inside, which for all
practical purposes captures a perfect record of
the trees history. A close examination of the
annual rings can tell the exact weather patterns
of the region in which it grew. The grain can
reveal the exact location and trajectory of every
branchwhether the tree leaned or thrived or
competed with other trees. Even the complex
chemistry of the soil is contained within. Such
randomness produces great beauty.
One of my favorite books is The Soul of a
Tree by George Nakashima (19051990). He
was the father of the modern American woodworking movement. His exquisite, handcrafted
freeform furniture showed great respect for
the organic beauty of nature and wood. In a
roundabout Zen fashion, the book suggests
that trees have souls and that artisans can
utilize and extend the spirit, history, value and
beauty of the tree in the items they fashion
from the wood.
Willie Nelsons Trigger
Another of my favorite books is Zen and the Art

of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig.
While traveling with, working on and caring for
his motorcycle, he gradually discovers that quality is the external manifestation of care.
As far as Im concerned, any object that is created with human time and care, or any object
into which human time and care is imparted,
absorbs, embodies and contains something very
special. More than most objects, wooden musical instruments such as guitars and violins fall
into this category. Of course, a piece of furniture
can be very special in its design and function,
but musical instruments go well beyond mere
chairs and tables. They are carefully manipulated
in the capable hands of their makers to become
the artistic tools of the musician. Certainly, each
artisan imparts his or her soul into every instrument they craft, albeit some more than others,
depending upon the specific amount of care
taken. And certainly musicians impart their souls
into their instruments through the music that
they apply or extract.
It might seem odd that we personify guitars,
but in reality, guitars have heads, necks and
bodies with shoulders, waists, bellies and
backs. Its no wonder that guitars are given
names like Blackie, Trigger and Lucille. Like
people, guitars have long and colorful histories. They travel from town to town. They are
susceptible to changes in the weather. They
accumulate their battle scars (complexion and
patina), but they also tend to improve as they
age (personality and tonality). They get checkups from guitar repair technicians (doctors),
requiring almost chiropractic adjustment of
their truss rods. Its no wonder we value them
the way we do people. Wouldnt you say that
guitars have souls?
An often-heard argument among guitarists has
to do with machine-made vs. handcrafted.
A luthier might painstakingly create a lovely
instrument that will sell for $15,000, whittling
every brace by hand, carving the neck contours with a spokeshave, hammering and honing each fret, rubbing multiple coats of thin
finish with French polish, spending months
before its ready to be strung. If that original
instrument is now precisely measured and
digitized, and every part is exactly replicated
using computer-aided routers so that an efficient, assembly-line replica that will sell
George Nakashima
for $3000 is in every respect identical to the

original in both dimension and appearance (as
well as tone), is there a difference between
the two guitars?
I say there is a difference, that the handcrafted
instrument has the invisible quality of human
care imbedded in all of its seams. But what
can we say of value? Is it our responsibility
as makers or manufacturers to deliver affordability and value for the dollar? I say yes to
that too! No one wants to be charged for
someone elses inefficiency. It would seem that
a reasonable compromise is the marriage of
technology with hand-craftsmanshipto let
the machines produce the raw parts efficiently
and let human hands impart the critical care
and attention to detail during assembly.
Isnt it remarkable that a well-made guitar can
be purchased, played, scratched and dented
for decades and actually increase in value as it
becomes vintage? That cant be said for many
products. By themselves, trees cannot speak, but
when one does fall, what does the wood wish to
become? Listen carefully. You can hear the soulful answer in the tone of your guitar!
dick boak
Prior to, and during the course of, his 33-year career with
C. F. Martin & Co., dick boak (small letters!) has been a
vagabond, communal architect, illustrator, art teacher,
geodesic dome builder, lathe turner, luthier, draftsman,
poet, guitarist, wood expert, author, desktop publisher,
singer/songwriter, apple computer geek, archivist and
publisher. By the time you finish reading this paragraph,
he will most likely have morphed into something else.
ducers, Inc.
2009 Fishman Trans
Its hard to believe how perfectly the new Aura Spectrum DI reproduces the subtle uniqueness of your
acoustic instrument. But this is no ordinary direct box. Powered by Aura technology, it gives you the
eye-opening sound quality of a recording studio anywhere you plug in. And its loaded with everything
from a tuner and 3-band EQ to compression and auto feedback control. Yup, its pretty unbelievable.
Now youve heard everything.
Fishman.com
ASK AMP MAN
JEff BOBER
Making a Supro Super

Hi Jeff, I have a question for you. Recently,
I was given an old Supro amp. As far as
I can tell its a 1948 model, all-original
except for the power cord, which I
replaced. There are no model numbers on
the amp. Of course, its an all-tube amp,
with what appears to be a 10" speaker,
two inputs, an on/off toggle switch and
a 2-amp fuse. When I turn on the amp, it
fires fine and sounds pretty good. After its
been on for about 10 minutes, it starts to
lose a little volume, but the sound just gets
better sort of a nice fuzzy, bluesy sound.
I noticed last night that the speaker frame
was getting hot (after about an hour of
playing). Is this normal for an old amp like
this? Is it okay to use it without fear of it
blowing up? The amp is in excellent condition except for the handle. Any idea what
the value of this amp might be? Also, I was
thinking of replacing the transformer with
one of the new ones on the market. Would
it be worth doing? Thanks for your time,
and I hope you have a great day. Love your
articles in Premier Guitar.
Jim Edens
Hi Jim,
I dont know that Ive ever worked on that
particular model amp, but from the research
Ive done it looks to be a very cool amp. It
seems that there are quite a few different
versions of the amp, but the common thread
appears to be a bottom-mounted chassis
with inputs and controls accessible from the
lower rear. The speaker is mounted above
the chassis and could have been either a
Jensen or a Rola, the latter of which came in
PM (permanent magnet) or field coil versions.
Id have to assume that the field coil version
would have been the earliest version of the
amp, as the field coil speaker predated the
PM speaker. (Just FYI, in a field coil speaker,
the magnetism needed for the operation of
the speaker was generated by running the
B+ (high voltage) of the amp through a coil
on the rear of the speaker, essentially turning it into a large electromagnet.) The tube
configuration in these amps seems to change
as well. While all of the versions utilize a 5Y3

rectifier tube, the preamp section consisted
of either a single 6SL7, or a 6SC7 along with
a 6J7. Also, from the information Ive seen its
possible that the amps were built using either
a single 6V6 for the output stage, or two
6V6s in a parallel single-ended design. Thats
it for the history of the amps. Now lets get
to your questions.
While there appears to

be replacement transformers made for these
amps, and installing one
could improve the sound
of the amp, the vintage
value of the amp would
be compromised
You mention that the amp loses some volume and starts to sound a bit fuzzy/bluesy
after approximately 10 minutes of operation, and that the speaker frame was getting
hot. Remember that the speaker is mounted
directly above the entire chassis. On that
chassis are the mains transformer and anywhere from three to five tubes, with an
output stage running in Class A mode. This
in and of itself is probably enough heat to
warm the speaker frame, but excessive heat
could be the tell-tale sign of a problem. The
symptom of the amp dropping in power and
becoming dirtier is a somewhat typical sign
of an output tube thats shorting internally
once it gets nice and warm. This produces a

substantial amount of extra heat that would
add to the warmth of the speaker frame.
There may be, however, an additional cause.
If the speaker is of the field coil variety, the
excessive current that the malfunctioning
tube is consuming is being pulled straight
through the coil windings on the rear of the
speaker. This may not only cause the coil to
produce additional heat, but could be bad
for the longevity of the coil as well. It can also
cause the mains transformer to run warmer
than it typically would. With that diagnosis
in mind, I would suggest replacing the 6V6
output tube(s) and see if the performance of
the amp is improved. If it continues to lose
power and become buzzy, Id have it looked
at by a local tech to see if the filter caps need
to be changed. The only reason I wouldnt
tell you to just have them replaced is that you
mentioned the amp was almost 100 percent
original. Since its functioning rather well,
replacing the caps may reduce the value of
the amp on the vintage marketshould you,
of course, decide to sell it.
Which brings me to your question regarding the replacement of transformer(s). While
there appears to be replacement transformers
made for these amps, and installing one could
improve the sound of the amp, the vintage
value of the amp would be compromised. The
decision should be based on tone vs. value.
If you plan on keeping the amp and making
it the best it can be, Id say go ahead and try
it. In my opinion, youd probably get a bigger
bang for your buck by replacing the speaker
almost always the weak link in older amps.
Just remember, if the speaker is the field coil
type, youll need to install a choke to take the
place of the magnet winding, as its an integral
part of the power supply. I hope this will help
you make your Supro amp super.
Jeff Bober
Jeff Bober, Godfather of the low wattage amp

revolution, co-founded and was the principal
designer for Budda Amplification. He can be
reached at pgampman@gmail.com.
N
O
I
T
S
E
L
E
C
D
AC/DC AN
E
R
E
H
T
T
LE
K
C
O
BE R
From High
Voltage to B
Angus
www.celestion.com
stion guitar
been Cele
lack Ice, it's
eakers. His
reenback sp
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the way.
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tage 30s.
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KuRT PRAngE
Alnico, the Miracle Metal

Alnico Magnets Today
Alnico permanent magnets are made from
an alloy containing varying percentages of
iron, aluminum, nickel, cobalt, copper and
sometimes titanium. It is produced in different grades, which offer increased magnetic
strength (maximum energy product) and resistance to demagnetizing forces (coercivity).
Alnico offers the best temperature stability of
any standard magnet material produced, but it
is also the most susceptible to demagnetizing
forces. It is often selected for modern products
that must operate at extremely high temperatures. In guitar speakers, alnico is usually
selected to help recreate the sound of 50s and
60s blues, jazz and rock and roll music.
Electrodynamic Loudspeaker History
One of the first modern-style (electrodynamic or moving coil) loudspeakers, the
Magnavox, was demonstrated in 1915 by
Edwin S. Pridham and Peter L. Jensen. Their
1920 patent application (US Patent 1448279)
describes ...an annular coil rigidly connected
to a diaphragm. This coil is disposed, so as
to be freely movable, in a strong concentric
magnetic field produced either by a permanent or an electromagnet. Today, the vast
majority of speakers use permanent magnets;
however, in the 1920s the permanent magnets available were relatively weak, and those
capable of producing a strong magnetic force
were costly and difficult to make. Most early
electrodynamic loudspeakers used an electromagnet (also known as the field coil).
Electromagnet vs. Permanent Magnet
An electromagnet is composed of a coil
wrapped around an iron core. When DC current
passes through the coil it generates a steady
magnetic field. Electromagnets may be thought
of as temporary magnets that lose their magnetism when power is shut off, while permanent
magnets do not require an electrical power
source to remain magnetized.
Alnico Magnet Development
In the early 1930s, most of the world was in the
depths of the economic downturn known in
the US as the Great Depression. Early patents
relating to the development of alnico express
their objective to provide a permanent magnet
composed of relatively low-cost materials,

which could be fabricated inexpensively and
have superior magnetic characteristics.
In US Patent 2027994 (Applied For:
1/20/1932; In Japan 3/09/1931), inventor
Tokushichi Mishima of Japan explains how
a strong permanent magnet comprised of
nickel, aluminum and iron could be produced
economically and with superior magnetic characteristics to the magnet steels available
at the time, including tungsten, chrome, and
chrome manganese. Months later, he added to
this the discovery that the addition of cobalt
could further improve the magnetic characteristics of the alloy, as well as improving its
tenacity and ductility (US Patent 2027996).
In the Nov. 4, 1935 issue of Time magazine,
an article titled Science: Industrial Insides
describes researcher William E. Ruder of GE
Schenectady demonstrating the power of the
new alnico permanent magnet by swinging a
55-lb. radio cabinet from an alnico disk of less
than a pound. Alnico is being groomed to
displace small electromagnets in motors, transformers, and loudspeakers, lowering the cost
and simplifying the construction.
In US Patent 2295082 (Applied For:
6/29/1939; In Germany 12/06/1938), inventor Gottfried Bruno Jonas of the Netherlands
explains that an alnico alloy in the anisotropic
form can yield a permanent magnet with a
50% to 200% higher maximum energy product than the isotropic version. This is the
discovery behind what would become known
as Alnico 5. This application was patented on
Sept. 8, 1942 in the United States.
Alnico had been developed into a robust permanent magnet by 1939. In that same year,
Charlie Christian joined Benny Goodmans
band and is credited with popularizing the
electric guitar as a lead solo instrument on
par with the trumpet and saxophone, but
his Gibson EH-150 amplifier used a field-coil
speaker. It was not until about 1947 when
Gibson and Fender began stocking their
guitar amps with alnico speakers. What could
account for such a delay?
An advertisement from QST amateur radio magazine

(April 1945, p. 75)
Dont you know theres a war on?

The Nazis invaded Poland in 1939 and WWII
began in Europe. In January of 1942, a month
after entering the war, the United States
government established the War Production
Board to regulate the production and allocation of raw materials. Basic metals including
steel, copper, and aluminum were heavily
regulated to supply military demand, and
only essential civilian products would be allocated a percentage of these metals. In order
to stay profitable, many American companies
had to shift their production to supply parts
and equipment the military needed. For
example, Gibson made radar assemblies,
glider skids for airplanes and precision rods
for use in submachine guns. It would not be
until after the war ended in 1945 that many
peacetime products could make full use of
alnico, the miracle metal.
Kurt Prange
Kurt Prange (BSEE) is the Sales Engineer for CE Distribution,

LLC, in Tempe, AZ (jensentone.com). Kurt began playing guitar at the age of nine in Kalamazoo, MI. He is a guitar DIYer
and tube amp designer who enjoys helping other musicians
along in the endless pursuit of tone.
STOMP SCHOOL
Tom HugHes
Stompbox Classics: Tone Bender, Part 2

Hey fuzz freaks! Welcome back to Stomp
School. This month well continue our riveting discussion of Tone Benders. First a bit
more history, and then well explain how its
relevant today. Last time we covered the early
Tone Bender era, circa 19651966, which
included the Tone Bender MKI and the MKII
Professional Tone Bender. But theres much
more to the story, so check it out
The early Tone
Benders produced
by Sola Sound
were actually very
few in number.
More common
were the Tone
Bender variants
the company was
subcontracted to
build for other
brands, such as
Marshall, Park,
Colorsound Jumbo Tone Bender
Rotosound and
Vox. Although they were all much the same
under the hood, the only one of these to
actually bear the name Tone Bender was the
Vox MKII. By 1967, Vox had begun making
the Tone Bender themselves, moving production to Italy. The Italian-made Vox became the
most widely available and recognized of all
vintage Tone Benders, but it was also quite a
different beast than its predecessors, using a
two-transistor circuit design that more closely
resembled a Fuzz Face. The Italian subcontractor was Elettronica Musicale Europea
(EME), who made the Vox Clyde McCoy wahwah and Vox combo organs as well.
More Changes
In 1968, Sola Sound released the Tone
Bender MKIII, which was a three-transistor
fuzz, much like the MKII, with the addition
of a tone control and a different cast-metal
housing. Only a handful of these were actually made, although a later Vox-branded MKIII
was much more common. In 1969, Sola put
the MKIII into a new enclosure and called it
the Tone Bender MKIV. That enclosure was
the now-familiar stamped metal case that
Sola Sound would subsequently use for their
Colorsound brand of effects.
Photos by Tom Hughes
The year 1970 brought us the acclaimed Tone

Bender Fuzz, again very much like the MKIV but
with a different name and graphics. Although
it bore no brand, the Tone Bender Fuzz had all
the hallmarks of the early-70s Colorsound line.
The earliest versions used three germanium
transistors like the MKIV, but the circuit was
soon revised to use the increasingly cheaper
and more reliable silicon transistors that had
recently become available. Another three-transistor fuzz, the Colorsound Power Boost, was
added to the line at this time as well, and then
renamed Colorsound Overdriver in 1973.
In addition to expanding their Colorsound
brand, Sola Sound continued to manufacture its
effects pedals for other British companies, such
as Barnes & Mullins (B&M) and Carlsbro, but
they reserved the name Tone Bender for their
own products. The early 1970s saw the introduction of the Colorsound Jumbo Tone Bender and
Supa Tone Bender. By this time, the circuit had
been revised to such an extent that it was nearly
identical to the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi.
Thus ended the era of the true Tone Bender.
For more than two
decades, the Tone
Bender as we know
and love it today lay
dormant and forgotten. There was a
late-70s Colorsound
Tone Bender
Distortion, which
used an IC and clipping diodesthis is
not a Tone Bender.
Sometime in the
early 1990s, the
Vox Tone Bender
Fuzz (model V829)
Colorsound Power BoostBender
appeared, announcing itself as Germanium Charged. It did
indeed use a pair of modern generic germaniums, but its still not what we consider a real
Tone Bender. Of more significance was the
mid-90s Sola Sound Tone Bender Professional
MKII reissue, which was reportedly hand-built
by the late Dick Denney, legendary designer of
the Vox AC30. Now that was a Tone Bender!
The example I have was built using three
NOS metal can Mullard OC42 transistors.

Unfortunately, the reissue was short-lived.
With so few original Tone Benders
in circulation, how
do we account for
the current Tone
Bender craze? As I
said in last months
column, the phenomenon can be
mostly attributed
to the DIY effects
community, which
has grown exponentially over the
Colorsound Supa Tone Bender
last 10 years. The
two-knob and three-knob classic Tone Bender
circuits are among the most popular for
DIYers to build. The momentum was building
as Tone Bender intrigue took hold.
Parallel to the DIY movement has been the
rise of the micro-boutique and individual pedal
builders. Heres where it gets good, because this
odd little microcosm of music gear manufacturing has fostered more than a handful of skilled
pedal builders with the passion and dedication required to track down rare and tuneful
components, and then assemble them with the
patience and precision required to bring you
something like well, like a hand-built, pointto-point wired MKII Tone Bender. And that, my
friends, is a very good thing.
Its a great time to be pedal freak, it really is.
Well see you next time. Until then, keep
on stompin!
Tom Hughes
(a.k.a. Analog Tom) is the owner and proprietor of For

Musicians Only (formusiciansonly.com) and author of
Analog Mans Guide To Vintage Effects. Questions or
comments about this article can be sent to:
stompschool@formusiciansonly.com.
Analog Man
(analogman.com) is one of the largest boutique

effects manufacturers and retailers in the business,
established by Analog Mike Piera in 1993.
Mike can be reached at AnalogMike@aol.com.
TRASH OR TREASURE
ZacHary r. fjesTad
Fender Princeton Reverb

Fenders trademark black Tolex covering, a
silver/blue grille cloth, and a black handle.
This is the first of a two-part article. Well discuss the Fender Princeton Reverb this month
and the Gibson ES-175D next. Both of these
pieces were in our office, so I was able to
inspect them personally. Some information in
this article cannot be seen in the picture(s).
Hey Zach,
I bought this Fender amp and Gibson guitar new in the late 1970s or early 1980s
and only played them a few times. A few
years later, I gave the guitar and amp to
my father, but he played them very little
as well. My father passed away last winter,
and I found these when I was cleaning out
his closets. I still dont play, so Id like to
sell them, and Im curious as to exactly
what I have and how much they are worth.
Thanks!
Jim in Forest Lake, MN
Hey Jim,
Im sorry to hear about your dad passing. Its
a shame neither of you kept up with guitar
playing. The good news is that the guitar
and amp are in near-mint condition, because
theyve spent most of their lives in a closet.
I inspected your amp thoroughly and did
some research on it. First of all, I dont think
this amp was new when you purchased it.
Based on the serialization Greg Gagliano
compiled for the now defunct 20th Century

Guitar magazine, the serial number in your
amp of A268XX indicates it was produced in
1972. The two-letter date code stamped on
the tube chart was discontinued after 1969,
and there is no speaker date code, so aside
from taking the chassis apart to look for other
date codes, the serial number is the only dating feature we have.
While Fender produced the silverface
Princeton Reverb continuously from 1968
to 1981, they did implement some subtle
changes along the way that also help us date
it today. First, Fender used the grille cloth
on your Princeton from approximately 1970
to 1975. Before this, there was an aluminum
frame around it. After 1975, the grille cloth
color changed from silver and blue to silver
and orange. The Fender logo on the amp
lost its tail around 1974 and the model name
on the control panel used to read Princeton
Reverb Amp prior to circa 1971. This confirms what the serial number told us all along:
that the amp was built circa 1972.
This amp has 1215W output, one 10" speaker, a seven-tube chassis (preamp: 1x7025,
2x12AX7, 1x12AT7; power: 2x6V6GT, and
a 5U4GB rectifier), a single channel, reverb,
tremolo, front silver control panel, two inputs,
six knobs (Volume, Treble, Bass, Reverb,
Tremolo Speed, and Tremolo Intensity), and
a footswitch jack (not included). It features
I plugged the amp in and played for quite a

while. I noticed that the tremolo wasnt working, and after some research discovered that
the footswitch actually has to be plugged
into the vibrato pedal footswitch jack on
the back panel. A borrowed footswitch from
a silverface Super Reverb confirmed that
the tremolo worked just fine. Aside from
a burned out pilot light and one scratchy
potentiometer in the tone circuit, this amp
played and sounded just as it should. It
appears to be in near mint condition with alloriginal components, including the speaker.
There are extra tubes in the bottom of the
cabinet and the ones installed do not match,
so at least a few of them have been replaced.
I dont want to say that you were fooled into
buying a new guitar amplifier in 1980, when
its actually a 1972, because I dont know all
of the circumstances. Its possible that this
amp sat in inventory for eight years, but I
would suspect they used it as a rental or
someone traded it in after seldom playing
it. Realistically, if the price was right and the
amp looked new when you bought it, does
it really matter when it was built? Besides, a
1972 Princeton Reverb is worth more today
than a 1980. The vintage Fender amp market
has softened a bit in the past two years, but
you can expect to get between $1,000 and
$1,200 retail for this amplifierof course,
wholesale price is going to be quite a bit
less! Truly, there are very few Fender tube
amplifiers that arent treasures.
Next month: A near-mint 1980 Gibson ES-175D!
Zachary R. Fjestad
Zachary is the author of the Blue Book of Acoustic

Guitars, Blue Book of Electric Guitars, and the Blue
Book of Guitar Amplifiers.
Questions can be submitted to:
Blue Book Publications
Attn: Guitar Trash or Treasure
8009 34th Ave. S. Ste #175
Minneapolis, MN 55425
800-877-4867
bluebookinc.com
guitars@bluebookinc.com
Create
Unwind & Create
Your day is stressful enough you dont need to struggle when it comes to creating
music. TASCAMs DP-008 gives you the tools you need to record without the
drama. Its packed with 8 tracks of CD-quality digital recording and mixing, but
compact enough to take anywhere. A pair of XLR mic ins, a guitar input and built-in
microphones mean youre ready to record anything. The DP-008 even offers reverb,
EQ and a mixdown track so you can finish your song on the go.
30 years of Portastudio recording have culminated in the TASCAM DP-008.
Kick back and jam.
tascam.com/dp008
2009 TASCAM, a division of TEAC America, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Features and specifications subject to change without notice.
RESTORING AN ORIGINAL
joHN BroWN
1956 Gretsch Corsair Truss Rod Rescue

This is a good example of how revealing
whats hiding behind door No.1 could
be very disappointing. A look of shock and
surprise came over our customers face as
we inspected this 1956 Gretsch Corsair in
his presence. Once I removed the truss rod
cover, you could see that the truss rod nut
was missing. No, wait! The nut was missing
but the truss rod was also snapped clean off,
flush up to the half-round washer. The customer had no idea that the rod was snapped,
making the relief to the neck non-adjustable.
Thank goodness we have our in-house procedures when we inspect and check in customer-owned instruments. If possible, its always
a good idea to inspect the instrument in the
customers presence and discuss its overall
condition, making sure to list any dents,
scratches and/or major damage.
1956 Gretsch Corsair, Model 6014
The Corsair evolved from the Synchromatic
100, a non-cutaway acoustic archtop. It has
a 16"-wide body, large open F holes, the
open G tailpiece and T-roof headstock
logo. The body, neck and headstock are fully
bound, and the rosewood fingerboard has
block pearloid inlays.
Truss Rod Rescue
If it werent for the Truss Rod Rescue Kit
(Stewart Macdonald #5680), the fingerboard
wouldve required removal, as well as the
filler strip and damaged truss rod. Then there
wouldve been the added prep time duplicating the rod and reassembling everything,
along with possible binding rebuild and finish
touchup. With many hoursand at quite an
expenseIm not convinced that this guitar
would have been a good candidate otherwise. Its really fantastic that Stew Mac has
the die onto the very short length of the

existing threads, turning slowly and stopping
when I hit resistance. From there, I continued
a quarter turn, cutting new threads, then
backed the die out, cleaned the threads and
removed the shavings from the truss rod
cavity. Paraffin was used to produce cleaner
threads, making it an all-around smoother
and easier job.
come up with a brilliant alternative for repairing a snapped truss rod.
Parts List:
Hex Wrench: The cutter and threading die
attach to the wrench for easy control.
Cutter: Removes wood around the truss rod,
exposing the rod and making room for the
threading die.
Threading Die: A specially designed 10-32
die that cleans up the existing threads and
cuts new thread on the truss rod.
Pilot: Guides the cutter into a 3/8" truss rod
access hole for Fender guitars.
Spacers: Provide a smooth bearing surface
for the truss rod nut, and cover the last few
partial threads left by the die.
After I popped off the metal, half-round
Gibson-style washer using my mini spatula,
I was ready to attach the Truss Rod Rescue
cutter to the hex wrench and give it a whirl. I
used the cutter, turning clockwise to remove
wood until there was 5/8" of the truss rod
exposedusing only moderate pressure
and letting the tool do the cutting, stopping frequently to remove wood chips from
the cavity. With the wood removed, I had
access to more of the truss rod and needed
to create more threads. I carefully threaded
We were ready for a spacer (provided in the

kit) to cover the last bit of unthreaded rod
and provide a metal-bearing surface, and followed that by threading on a brass traditional
hex truss rod nut (Stewart Macdonald item
#1018). Using my 5/16" truss rod wrench (item
#6100) with its comfortable rubberized handle,
I adjusted the rod, creating .010" of relief to
the fingerboard. This repair was really that
simple. I was concerned that I might run into a
few snags along the way, making the job just
a bear but it couldnt have gone any more
smoothly. Ill take a little credit for reviving the
truss rod, but I think this one is mostly due to
the Truss Rod Rescue Kit.
See you next month.
John Brown
John Brown, of Brown's Guitar Factory, is the inventor of the

Fretted/Less bass. He owns and operates a full guitar manufacturing and repair/restoration facility, which is staffed by
a team of talented luthiers. He is also the designer of guitar
making/repair tools and accessories that are used today by
instrument builders throughout the world.
brownsguitarfactory.com
info@brownsguitarfactory.com
THE NEW
SM27 AND SM137.

THE LEGENDARY LINE CONTINUES.
Designed to be reliable, tough and true-sounding, take the new SM27 and SM137 from studio to
stage without skipping a beat, or missing a note. Legendary SM microphones are built, known and
expected to come through even under extreme conditions - a true industry standard. For more on
microphones that nail every take go to Shure.com.
SM137
SM27
www.shure.com
2009 Shure Incorporated
THE LOW END
KeVIN BordeN
Unsung Heroes of Tone: The End of an Era

Acoustic amplifiers are a misnomer. In the
70s, I saw Led Zeppelin at Madison Square
Garden. There was an amp onstage I did
not recognize. It had the trademark light
blue stripe and the big metal knobs. I asked
a buddy what it was and was told it was an
Acoustic 360 or 370, and John Paul Jones
used it. I did not understand why a bassist
would use an acoustic amp.
The 360 and 370, while being completely different amps, share an amazing commonality,
which is the creamy, deep tone that comes
out of them. The Acoustic has a wonderful
trait: while the tone goes deep, every note
is discernable and articulate. Deep does not
equal muddy with these amps. A very controlled top end could also be coaxed out of
these amps without sounding shrill. In the
very early 80s, Acoustic introduced a fabulous series of bass amps culminating in the
channel-switching 320 head and model 408
4x15" cabinet. My SVT/Cerwin Vega rig (that
I mentioned in a previous article) was sold to
purchase this very rig. This amp retained all
the goodness of the older series amps, and
it was able to stand up to a B00 Stingray.
Acoustic amps can still be found on the market for fair money. The little brothers to the
320 head were the 120 and 220, and these
can be found reasonably priced. A lot of the
older model amps have been around the
block and most likely need some service.
Fender had an interesting dilemma. They
made the world-class line of basses but never
had the world-class bass amp. Their amp line
was centered on the Bassman series, which
had the Bassman 50 and 135 models, which
were piggybacked. The cabinets were huge
compared to the wattage of the head, which
sounded pretty good with a non-offensive
generic tone. Zillions were sold, making them
a commercial success, but I personally believe
they sold primarily because of the Fender
name. The stepchild to the Bassman line was
the Bassman 10, which may have been the
best amp in the lineup. This amp was not 10
watts, but a 4x10" configuration, emulating
the tweed Bassman. Although heavy and
clumsy to transport, the size is compact, and
the tone was tight and controllable. Like its
predecessor, it became a favorite of guitar
players. Fender also had a full line of practice
amps aimed at the Musicmaster and Mustang

crowd. There is really little drawback to a
silverface Fender amp: theyre reasonably
priced, tough as nails and offer reasonable
tone. These amps offer major cool guy factor
(CGF) for the capital outlay.
Sunn All Who fans raise your hands. In the
70s there was a small city on stage behind
John Entwhistle nicknamed Mini-Manhattan.
Mini-Manhattan was literally a wall of amplifiers either primarily or totally made by
There is nothing as cool

as a gigantic bass amp
played loud enough to
blow your pants around.
The old stuff requires
patience; youll have
downtime and expenses
for maintenance.
Sunn. Sunn had three primary bass amps:
the Coliseum and Concert Bass amps, which
were solid state, and the Model T. Sunn amps
did a few things other transistor amps did
not do: they were reliable for the day, they
sounded good, the front ends were robust
and you could actually play an Alembic or a
T-Bird through them and achieve a nice sonic
response. Like the Fender amps, they are
reasonably priced, tough as nails and offer
reasonable tone. These amps also offer major
CGF for the capital outlay.
The Early Modern Era
During the very early 80s, bass amplification
changed foreverthe auto industry maybe
the principal reason. In the early 70s, vehicle

sizes were drastically reduced and with fuel
prices soaring, the old behemoths faded
away. Big amps could not be transported in
the new smaller cars that dominated the late
70s onward. The other issue was that some
of the components in tubes are not so nice to
the human body, and American and Western
European production basically ceased. This
resulted in two major changes: first, the shift
to solid-state technologies; second, the major
downsizing of gear. Before this period, combo
amps were low-volume applications. The 80s
saw the introduction of killer combo amps. The
company fully responsible for this was Peavey.
In summer 1982, I walked into Sam Ash and
Nabil Goudy, the bass manager, called me
over. He pointed to this little amp, a Peavey
Combo 300. This was the first amp I ever
heard with the modern tone. I purchased that
amp and a new B.C. Rich Eagle Bass that was
used to demo the amp. I used that amp for
twenty years. After that, boutique amplifier
manufacturers were springing up. The seeds
for GK, SWR and the like were all being
planted, and things changed forever.
The Lowdown Wrap-up
There is nothing as cool as a gigantic bass
amp played loud enough to blow your pants
around. The old stuff requires patience; youll
have downtime and expenses for maintenance. On a player-grade amp, dont shy
away from re-coned speakersexpect it.
Changed speakers, changed tolex or grille
cloth will devalue the amp. Before you drop
big bucks on a very rare amp, get it checked!
Yes, there are amplifier forgeries or swapped
major components. Remember: keep your
hands out of the inner workings. Amps can
electrocute you.
I hope you enjoyed this series. Until next
time, drop the gig bag, bring the cannolis!
Kevin Borden
Kevin Borden has been a bass player since 1975 and

is currently the principle and co-owner, with Dr. Ben
Sopranzetti, of Kebos Bass Works: kebosbassworks.com.
He can be reached at: Kebobass@yahoo.com.
Feel free to
call him KeBo.
VINTAGE VAULT
By LauN BraITHWaITe aNd TIm muLLaLLy
1958 Fender Strat

1959 Fender Twin
In 1953 Fender launched an amp that

would become the industry standard
for decades: the Twin. Named for its
pair of 12" speakers, the Twin evolved
in looks and power output through the
1950s. In1955 it changed from a widepanel 25-watt amp to a narrow-panel
50-watt amp. By 1958, the tweed Twin
had reached 80 watts.
The new high-powered Twins were
favored by late-50s rock and roll musicians, because the sound was able to
fill most dance halls (this was before
micing amps through a PA system was
standard practice). A number of these
rockers also plugged Fenders space age
Stratocaster into the Twin because of the
solidbodys ability to reach high volumes
without feedback. The Strat/Twin setup
was favored by Buddy Holly and Tommy
Allsup of The Crickets, and by Johnny
Meeks of Gene Vincents Blue Caps.
Even though the high-powered tweed
Twin was eventually replaced by the
black tolex-covered Twin Reverb and
various incarnations of channel-switching Twins, it is still a sought-after, collectable amp. The most notable proponent of the 80-watt tweed Twin today
is Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.
Since the 90s, hes always had a Twin
or two on stage to achieve his signature
clean/dirty rhythm and lead sound.
More detailed information on Fender
amps can be found in Fender Amps:
The First Fifty Years by John Teagle
and John Sprung, and in The Soul of
Tone by Tom Wheeler.
Dave's Guitar Shop
Daves Rogers Collection is tended to by

Laun Braithwaite & Tim Mullally
Photos and words by Tim Mullally
Daves Collection is on display at:
Dave's Guitar Shop
1227 Third Street South
La Crosse, WI 54601
608-785-7704
davesguitar.com
75
Randall Smith,
Chief Designer &
President (Circa 1969)
Hand Building
Hot Rods
for 40 Years
....Were All About High Performance.
Randall Smiths passion for design is

unwavering and infectious. Since 1969 hes
been re-shaping the face of electric guitar and
bass with the many innovations appearing (for
the first time anywhere) on MESA amplifiers.
Forty years later, his excitement and dedication
is shared by all of us here at Boogie . His timeproven code of integrity has spawned a fanati-
The Original Hot Rod

Snake Skin Mark I
cal cult of excellence that ensures your amp will

be magic, unsurpassed in quality and hand-built
by artisans who really care.
Weve all had experiences where products didnt
meet our expectations. Its a drag. Were committed to exceeding yours and making sure you
never have a reason to look anywhere but
The Home of Tone for your musical voice.
Our Two New

The Mark Five
It took forty years of

Randall Smiths experience
designing high performance
tube amps to get this much
TONE under one roof and
keep it easy to dial. More
than a collection of amplifiers, the MARK 5 is a
living history of MESAs
contributions and a tribute
to the evolution of electric
guitar tone.
M A R K
F I V E
Nine Patents Stand Guard Over Your Investment!
Mesa Boogie, Ltd., 1317 Ross St., Petaluma, CA 94954
Todays Guitar Amp Technology is Built on

Mesas Pioneering Innovations: (This is only a partial list)
1969:
1989:
First High-Power 1x12 Combo.

Giant killer is born. Half-Power
Switch. The 60/100 switch
matches power to venue.
Tweed(Bold) Power. Switchable

Mains reduction, like on-board
variac. Patent 5,091,700
1990:
Tri-Axis. Midi control & full

programmability run 8 all-tube
modes. Patent 5,208,548.
1970:
Pull Gain Boost Switch. Extra

mid-gain for playing the Blues.
1971:
High Gain Cascading Pre-amp.

The Birth of Overdrive.
1991:
Dual Rectifier . You know this

one. Patent 5,168,438.
1972:
On-Board Graphic Equalizer.

Alternate footswitchable EQ.
1991:
1973:
Exotic Hardwood Cabinetry with

dove-tailed joints and wicker
cane grille.
Parallel FX Loop with Mix control. Reduces tone loss. Pat.

6,522,752.
1991:
1978:
Lead/Rhythm Dual-Mode
Amplifier. First Channel
Switching. Patent. 4,211,893.
Channel Cloning. Allows duplication of gain structures in different channels.
1995:
1982:
Simul-Class. Combines Class A

tone and Class AB power.
Patents 4,532,476; 4,593,251
Progressive Linkage. Selects

different types of power tubes.
Patent 5,559,469.
1996: Simul-State Power. Tube driven
1986:
Mark III. Tri-Mode Amp, footswitches Clean, Crunch &

Overdrive.
MOS FET power for bass.
1998:
Road King. Four complete

2000: 3-mode
channels. Progressive
Linkage, five power tube
options per channel. Recto
Tracking auto-matches
rectifier to poweramp. Patent
Pending.
Assignable Rectifier .
2000: Channel
Patent Pending.
2001:
WalkAbout . High Powered

Compact Bass Amp. 300 Watts
from a 13 pound, 12x12 box!
Channel
2003: Multi-Watt
Assignable Power. Selectable
wattage options per channel.

Patent Pending.
Control Bass Cabinets.

2004: Player
First Bass Cabinets with built-in
adjustable Crossover & Instant
Reset Horn Protection.
2005:
Solo Control. Presettable, footswitchable volume boost.

Patent 6,724,897.
Duo-Class Power, Push-Pull

to Single-Ended switches power
amplifier configuration.
Patent 7,173,488.
We Ran Out of Room!....Go to Our Web Site to See

the Entire List of Our Groundbreaking Innovations
www.mesaboogie.com/innovations
Dan Van Riezen,
Mesa Designer for 25 Years
Innovations:
The Electra Dyne
Deeply rooted in the Best of

the Brit lineage, the Electra
Dyne takes modified English gain sounds and sorts
them into LO and HIGH
regions. These two choices
are combined with a retrominded, American-voiced
clean channel and linked
to one mini-toggle that gives
you three of the most classic
sounds in Rock n Roll.
E L E C T R A
707-778-6565
www.mesaboogie.com
D Y N E
A Hot Rod British Tribute by the Original Boutique Company
THE JAzz BOx
jaNe mILLer
The Repertoire List

There are two kinds of practice: repertoire
practice, and the other kind. Weve examined
the other kind here in months gone by, and
there will be plenty more of that to come. This
time, however, lets get some repertoire practice underway and start booking some gigs.
Wanna play some tunes?
Sure, what do you wanna play?
Uh, I dont know, what tunes do you know?
Oh, I dont know, I know a lot of tunes, really.
What do you like to play?
Well, do you know Stella?
Uh, lets see (noodle noodle)Um, how
bout a blues? Do you know any blues heads?
of paper with three column headings across

the top: HEADS, CHORDS, CHORD SOLOS
Begin. Take an honest inventory of your playing. Were talking about memorized melodies
and chords here. Songs you can play if you
have a chart in front of you can go on a separate listthats worthy, too, but not quite in
your repertoire. It will be a good feeling to
discover that you actually can play the head to
Stella, for example, and you just didnt realize it. You might surprise yourself to know that
in fact you do have the chords to Donna Lee
memorized quite easily, you just need to work
on the melody some more. Write it all down in
the proper place. Watch your list grow.
And on and on it goes.

It turns out that knowing a song and being
able to play it are two entirely different things.
As a jazz guitarist, its important to know the
following four aspects of a song: 1.) Melody
(playing the head); 2.) Chords (comping);
3.) Melody and Chords Together (playing a
chord-melody solo); and 4.) Improvising (taking a solo over the chord changes or harmony
of the tune).
These four aspects of a tune are all related
and helpful to each other. While not all tunes
will fall neatly on the neck as a chord-melody
solo, learning to express at least some of the
chord quality behind a melody will give you
the best understanding of the song. The more
fully you understand a song, the better you
will be able to improvise on it. The better you
have the melody down, the better you can
interpret it freely and refer to it in a solo. The
better you know the chord progression, the
more confident you can be while soloing and
playing a chord-melody solo.
Write it down
Theres nothing like seeing something in writing to make it seem so much more official. To
illuminate exactly which songs you know
and enjoy playing in different ways and in different ensemble contexts, lets get a few lists
going. It might start with one song in one category, or you might find that you have several
songs already at your disposal, but the important thing is to begin. I recommend one piece
Whatever role you are

called upon to play as
a guitarist, you will be
prepared. It will say so
right there on your list.
Go through fake books and try playing songs
youve heard for many years, but youre just
not sure if you know the changes. Try not to
look unless you really get stuck. Then try it
again. Write it down. Just learned a new song
last night on the bandstand by someone calling out the chords to you? Youll probably
never forget it. Write it down in your comping
category. So you worked out a comfortable
fingering for the head to Billies Bounce?
Write it down. Then go over it a few times
every day to be sure. (Thats likely one you can
add to the chord category, as well, if you know
the modified 12-bar blues form).
It seems that if we learn a song without having
read it from a written part, we will never need
a chart for it. If, however, you have always used
a chart for a song that youve played again

and again, youll need to wean yourself from it.
Try going chart-free during a practice session.
More often than not, youll impress yourself
by knowing at least one part of the song: the
chord changes or the melody. Youll be able to
visualize the phrases and the form as you play.
Youll gain freedom and a deeper understanding of the tune by playing it intuitively rather
than relying on exactly whats on the page.
I used to watch and listen to jazz guitarists
play tunes all by themselves as if they had just
decided to pick up the guitar that moment
and see how it goes. I couldnt imagine how
those gorgeous voicings and reharmonization
ideas were just flowing out so effortlessly.
Then, dawn broke. There, as if written on the
sky, I saw so clearly what had been going on:
they had practiced! Be creative and reach for
the unexpected harmony when making choices in a chord-melody solo. Take your time and
craft it and let it build in a way that you like.
Listeners will appreciate that, too, when the
time comes to perform the piece.
Make notes to yourself as much as you need
to. Many players and arrangers for solo guitar
performance write out their chord-melody
arrangements in notation for other players to
use and perform. Again, the power of visual
representation is considerable. Write your ideas
down for future reference, either your own or
someone elses. Then play it, play it, play it.
Add it to your chord solo list. The longer that
part of the list gets, the more comfortable you
will be at playing solo gigs, duo gigs and even
trio gigs. Whatever role you are called upon to
play as a guitarist, you will be prepared. It will
say so right there on your list.
Jane Miller
Jane Miller is a guitarist, composer, and arranger

with roots in both jazz and folk. In addition to leading her own jazz instrumental quartet, she is in a
working chamber jazz trio with saxophonist Cercie
Miller and bassist David Clark. The Jane Miller Group
has released three CDs on Janes label, Pink Bubble
Records. Jane joined the Guitar Department faculty at
Berklee College of Music in 1994. janemillergroup.com
Indulge your guitar with a Levys guitar strap.
www.levysleathers.com
FIERCE GUITAR
rusTy cooLey
Legato
Hey, welcome back for another dose of guitar
insanity. This month we are going to be to
looking at some basic legato development in a
one octave A Natural Minor scale. Am consists
of A, B, C, D, E, F and G, resolving again to A.
For those of you who might be new to the
legato concept, think of a violinist playing
a long string of notes without changing
the bowing direction; for guitar its a fancy
way of saying hammer-ons and pull-offs. By
definition a hammer-on is when you have two
or more notes on a string and you pick the

first note and then hammer-on to the next
note or notes just using the strength of you
fingers to sound them, or hammering them
on. A pull-off is kind of the opposite; you
pick the highest of the two or more notes
and, using a downward pulling or plucking
motion, you pull your fingers off to
sound the lower notes.
Now, when I play these examples I only pick
the first note of the ascending string and
play 100% legato on the descending line

that means I dont pick at all as I descend.
As I descend I do what is called a hammeron from nowhere and use the strength of
my finger to sound the first note of each
descending string instead of picking, which
gives it a purer legato sound. However, if
youre new to this its okay to pick the first
note of each string. As a general rule, you
only want to pick once per string no matter
how many notes might be on that string.
Example 1 is the initial A Natural Minor scale position that we are going to be using for all of this month's examples. Take it slow and memorize it before attempting to play it fast. Also make sure you keep your thumb behind the neck; it shouldnt be poking over the top. Also keep a
slight bend in your wrist and keep each joint arched in each finger for maximum legato fluidity. One last thing: dont let the palm of your hand
touch the bottom of the neck either; it should just be finger tips against the string and the thumb on the back of the neck.
Example 2 starts you off with a very small bite to get you going.
Memorize it and start your chops building.
Example 3 builds a little more, continuing along the

same process while getting a little more challenging.
Example 4 and 5 build into longer lines. Again take it slow, memorize and shred away.
I highly recommend practicing each example five minutes a day until you feel like you have mastered it.
These ideas will help you develop smooth connected legato lines that seamlessly flow together.
You can also try these ideas in every position of the key and on multiple string groups.
Click here to hear these

examples played by Rusty Cooley
Rusty Cooley
Rusty Cooley has been playing and teaching for over 20

years, and has recorded as a solo artist, with his band
Outworld, and keyboardist Derek Sherinian. He has six
instructional DVDs and a signature model 7-string guitar, the
RC7 by Dean Guitars. Visit Rusty online at rustycooley.com
SIGNAL CHAIN
DEAN FARLEY
Treble in Mind
Hows it going? This month were going to
look at the effect that treble frequencies
have on guitar amps and just why theyre so
important to the overall tone youre seeking
in an amplifier, to begin with. The desire for
more treble in guitar amps started way back
in the infancy of tube amplifiers designed
for electric guitars. In the beginning, and
throughout the evolution of his amp line,
Leo Fender was always asking working
musicians what they thought of the amps
he manufactured. It turned out that most of
them wanted a brighter, snappier tone to suit
the musical styles of the day (e.g. the type of
popular country and western music heard
back in the late 40s). The first Fender amps
were voiced directly from the opinions of
the musicians who played them. Eventually,
Fender amps found favor as the perfect
match for the Fender Broadcaster (and many
other brands of electric guitars). This increase
in brightness worked well for country and jazz
styles alike, where there was a need for more
definition of tone.
As American music evolved and rock and
roll was invented, ears all over the globe
heard and embraced this exciting new form
of musical sound. You could say that our
ears had become biased toward what we
were hearing over the airwaves, and this was
certainly the case in the United Kingdom
and Europe as well. Listeners the world
over were hearing for the first time that
pleasingly bright tone from the imported
American records they bought from their
local record shops. But there was a slight
problem with amplifiers made in Britainthey
were too dark sounding when compared to
the American sound that was being spun on
the turntables across the Atlantic. In Britain,
and Europe too, its very conceivable that
the first guitar effects units were the treble
boosters made by a few companies in Britain,
like Dallas Arbiter and Hornby Skewes, to
name only two such manufacturers. The
reigning king of the treble boosters is most
likely the Dallas Rangemaster unit. However,
there are some others that are equally
engaging in tonal quality.
There is also quite a list of top British
guitarists who used treble boosters in
conjunction with a variety of English
amplifiers, such as Eric Claptons Marshall
2x12 combo (recorded using a 1960 Gibson

Les Paul during his seminal stint with John
Mayall and The Bluesbreakers on the Beano
record from 1966) and Ritchie Blackmores
vintage dot-neck ES-335, which was plugged
If youve ever had a chance

to plug into the Normal channel of an original AC30, one
of the first things you noticed
is that the sound is indeed
darker, and yet it has much
more girth than the brighter
Top Boost channel. In order
to bring out that girthy tone
you have to add just a bit of
optimized high end from a
treble boosterto give it a
bit of clarity and definition
into a Hornby Skewes treble booster seen
sitting on top of his VOX AC30 during the
Double Concerto footage from Royal
Albert Hall. I believe that Ritchies solo on
Deep Purples first hit single, Hush, used
this same rig. It sure has the same tone
and attitude! This rest of the list includes
everyone from The Shadows Hank B. Marvin
to Irelands Rory Gallagher, from Black

Sabbaths Tony Iommi to Queens Brian May,
and pretty much everyone in between.
Ive found that the vast majority of players
who favored original Vox AC30s actually
plugged into the Normal channel rather than
the brilliant, but louder, Top Boost channel.
What could be the reason? If youve ever had
a chance to plug into the Normal channel of
an original AC30, one of the first things you
noticed is that the sound is indeed darker, and
yet it has much more girth than the brighter
Top Boost channel. In order to bring out
that girthy tone you have to add just a bit of
optimized high end from a treble booster
to give it a bit of clarity and definition. The
Normal channel is dark sounding because in
the actual layout of an original AC30 the drive
tube (V4) is split between the two channels,
and the Normal channel side doesnt include
the treble and bass controls. Instead, only the
Top Boost channel inputs have full control
over these two tone controlsand the Cut
control as well. By the way, the Cut control
does work with the Normal channel, but even
so, its best to use a treble booster here and
set the Cut control where it sounds good to
your ear and simply leave it there. Your choice
of instrument will also guide where you set the
Cut control.
Okay, so now you can really listen to those
old classic records and know why they
sounded so great to start with. There are so
many tones you can pull off from those old
records with some careful tweaking of the
proper instrument and amplifier, along with
a few well-chosen stompboxes. And, you can
get very close to the original if you choose
the right stuff. Remember, this stuff doesnt
have to cost an arm and a leg. I get a pretty
convincing VOX tone from my old beloved
Peavey Classic 30 combo. Next month, Ill
tell you how you can nail this great old sound
with a wonderful pedal that Ive recently
discovered. See you next time.
Dean Farley
is the chief designer of "Snake Oil Brand Strings"

(sobstrings.net) and has had a profound influence
on the trends in the strings of today.
The
Heres the Story...
Rochester
Series
Pedals
from Whirlwind
Back in 1961, Michael Laiacona was an ambitious 12 year old bass player/
guitar player with boundless energy, playing in an Albany band covering
the likes of Hermans Hermits, Dave Clark Five and of course, the Beatles.
Being a kid entailed having no money, but with youth came an imagination that had no limitations. Michael would spend countless hours tinkering with an old soldering gun and whatever electronic parts he could dig
up, trying to create cool new sounds while teaching himself what would
later become a calling. By 15, out of necessity he hand built his first PA system complete with a mixing console, monitors, power amps and handmade
speaker enclosures. It didnt take long to go from soldering homemade gear
in his garage to beginning what would later become an undeniable staple in
every up and coming guitar players rig. A few years later he graduated from
the garage to a small factory on Goodman Street, in Rochester NY, where
Michael cofounded MXR. This would be the birth place of the worlds first road
worthy line of guitar effects pedals.
By 1972 it was clear to him that he had stumbled on to something monumental,
but the big question was how to spread the word. Traditional advertising was
available but at a staggering cost and even then its reach was unable to accurately target the people that needed to know... guitar players. The answer was
priceless, Michael literally spent his evenings going from nightclub to nightclub, plugging his hand wired effects boxes into the rigs of any guitar player
that would let him. Needless to say, every single player ended up buying one at
the end of the night. Michael knew he wasnt going to get rich this way but how
else could he spread the word? Then the Magic moment happened on a rainy
night in 1973 at The Red Creek, a little club in Rochester NY. Jessie Ed Davis,
the guitar player from the famed band Taj Mahal and session player for the
Beatles and Eric Clapton was the featured act and he and Michael hit it off to
the tune of staying up until 4:oo am playing guitar in a dark and dingy green
room. Jessie fell in love with the pedals and insisted that he get two more for his
buddies. After a few months, Jessie invited Michael to his home in Marina Del
Ray to meet some of his buddies . To Michaels surprise and absolute astonishment, he found himself standing in Jessies living room, face-to-face with
one of his first customers, none other than John Lennon. Within a few short
years these pedals became the most sought after effects of the 1970s.
In May of 1975 Michael left MXR and went on

to establish Whirlwind, the indisputable world
leader in audio interface... the rest is history.
Well, almost 40 years into it, Michael has decided to recreate the pedals that
got him started in the business in the first place by launching his Rochester
Series Pedals which are hand wired, American made replicas of the original
pedals that still work night after night in the rigs of the greats like Keith, Eric,
and Eddie. When asked if he would do anything differently? Michael simply
replied,Yes, Id add an LED, direct bypass, and a 9 -Volt power input, so we did.
Whirlwind is proud to re-introduce the three coolest pedals on the planet. Now
plug em in, and make a little history of your own.
The Red Box
compressor
distortion
(The first 1000 Rochester Series pedals have been signed by Michael Laiacona)
You say you want a revolution?
I first brought these effects pedals to guitarists almost 40 years ago. They
were the ones that started a revolution and no one has made them quite the
same since . . . hand wired, American made, built to last forever and with the
exact same circuits and quality components.
Michael with his

53 Les Paul ,
A cherished gift
given to him by
the late great
Les Paul himself.
Its the way we did it back then and its the way weve approached everything
weve done since. The ONLY things we changed are the addition of true-bypass, a 9 Volt power inlet and an LED to indicate when theyre active.
To celebrate 40 years in rock-n-roll, were proud to release the Rochester Series
pedals. Youre gonna love em.
Michael Laiacona
President / Owner
MXR is a registered trademark of Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc. All rights reserved.

99 Ling Rd, Rochester
NY 14612 www.whirlwindusa.com 1-800-733-9473
83
HANDMADE IN ROCHESTER, NY
ECLECtIC GuItAr
PAt Smith
Open String Fling

I suspect that since the first days of guitar
plucking, guitarists have been looking for
ways to play those gee-whiz speedy licks
that make the Muggles all agog with wonder. And of course, like any good wielders
of magic, we arent above using tricks when
sheer physical prowess isnt enough, hence
the birth of open string licks. You hear this
4
kind ofEx
bagpipe-like
motion in flamenco,
country chicken-pickin and bluegrass, and
my hero Lenny Breau used it 0all 4the 0time.
5 0 4
0
0
What it involves is adding in open strings

between the fingered notes so that you get
a nutty cascade of coolness. Another thing
that adds to the illusion is that you get some
drone from the open strings so the runs tend
to smear a bit and sound much bigger. Cool
right? One more small detail: because you
are using open strings you do have some
limits as to where it will work. Well deal with
stuff in G (Em), but as well see, there is a
bunch
of cheaty stuff you can do.
0
5
Theres a bunch of ways you can play with

this stuff and I would encourage you to try a
lot of em. Try it picking every note, and try
it using hammer-ons and pull-offs. Both ways
are cool and give different feels to what you
do. These examples are just some guidelines
for a place to start. Once you start rolling
with this you will find your own ideas and
variations. Go for it!
Example 1 is just a G major scale that will give your ears the idea of the sound were going for here.
Ex 1
0
0
0
0
3
5
7
Click here to see video examples
ofthis technique
at premierguitar.com
Example 2 takes us into a practical sort of run. Try it over G, as well as Em.
Ex
16 2Ex 2
3 0 3 00 5 00 5 00 3 00 3 00
0 3 50 03 5 0
0
5
5
5
35
03
0 3 0 53
5
5
0
5
4
24
0 2 40 2 4
20
0
4
24
02
0 2 40 2 4
0
4
04 2 40 2 4
0 2 40 3 5
0
0 2 4
Example 2a is another little G run you can try.
Ex 2a
7 726Ex 2a
Ex 2
3 0 3 00
3 000 3 000 5 00
0 3 0
0
5
35
3
0
45
24 0 25 00
05
4
2
4
4
0 3 5 0
0
4
2
4
0 2 4
This would be a good moment to talk about picking. Of course you can do this anyway you like. I pick it fingerstyle using mainly my thumb and
Exindex
3Ex 3finger, and once in a while my middle finger, too. Id like to suggest you take a look at online videos of Scotty Anderson; he does this
Ex32a 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
16 16
36
7
right hand picking style really well and is just a great player. Check him out.
3 0 3 04 0 4 05 0 5 04 0 4 0
35 0 5 0 6
7
7 6
6
5
3 06 0
4 this
2 0is in0chromatic
Another way to use
4
I use
chromatic
time
Personally
motion
all the
as it reallycolors the motion
in a way I like.
motion.
Example
3 reminds me of some moves I have heard from Tony Rice (one of my favorite pickers). You can use this to move up and down the
neck as a path to other ideas.
Ex 3
24 24
46
16
3 0
4 0
5 0
4 0
Also, try just moving this shape over to the other strings and see what you get. The guitar is such a shape-oriented beast
part of the fun is experimenting with fingerings you know, and moving them to the places you dont.
34 that
34
56
24
This last one is a little wacky sounding at first, but it will actually plug in to some
places. Tryit against
some
chords and see what
you
different
get
unexpected
Ex 4
0 4 5 0 4 5 0 4 0 5 0 4 0 5 0 4 5
are just starting
points;
andflip them every
which way,

takeall these examples
ExThese
1
then make your own. Good pickin!
8
3
84 P R E M I E R G U I T A R N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9 0
0
3
7
0
5
54 54
74
44
0
4
7
44 44
66
34
Pat Smith
Pat Smith is the Managing Editor of Guitar Edge Magazine.

He founded the Penguin Jazz Quartet and played Brazilian
music with Nossa Bossa. He studied guitar construction
with Richard Schneider, Tom Ribbecke and Bob Benedetto,
and pickin with Lenny Breau, Ted Greene, Guy Van Duser
and others. Pat currently lives in Iowa and plays in a duo
with bassist Rich Wagor.
EVOLUTION
MULTIWAVE DISTORTION
Reeves Gabrels
I have been waiting for the soundblox
multiwave distortion my whole life. From
butterscotch-thick singing distortion to
super-expressive octave fuzz from the
future, this is the one. I wont leave home
without it.
Reeves Gabrels
The Multiwave Distortion features 21
futuristic octave and foldback distortions
as well as classic distortion sounds and
our unique multiband processing for
unprecedented clarity even when playing
complex chords.
Find out more about Soundblox MultiWave Distortion, Tri-Mod Phaser,

Flanger and Wah effects pedals at sourceaudio.net.
THE HAL LEONARD RECORDING METHOD
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iNtERViEW
Buddy Guy
Keepin the Blues Alive!
By BOB CIANCI
For over 50 years, Buddy Guy has produced startlingly raw, soulful, dynamic music.
Along with his friend and mentor, B.B. King, and several other blues pioneers, Guy created
the model for edgy electric blues and rock guitarand along the way influenced a few
such obscure, little-known players as Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and
Stevie Ray Vaughan, not to mention thousands and thousands of other guitarists.
87
comeback, Damn Right Ive Got The Blues,

which won him his first Grammy award in
1991. He hasnt looked back since.
What was the spark that made you
pick up a guitar?
It was a combination of listening to country
and western music like Hank Williams, Eddy
Arnold and Roy Rogers, plus B.B. King, Lightnin
Hopkins and other bluesmen, and the gospel
music I heard in church. I asked my grandfather
about music in the family once, and he said
nobody before me had any musical talent. We
didnt have a phonographwe didnt even have
electricitybut we had a radio and we listened
to that. They played blues in between the rain
delays of the baseball games back then. I built a
two-string diddley bow and nailed the strings to
the house. I used my mothers hairpins. She was
wondering where they all went! Id wear it out
in about a week or break the strings, so I kept
rebuilding it. Thats what I started on. I was influenced by T-Bone Walker, John Lee Hooker, Little
Walter and Les Paul, too.
Guitar Slim was an influence on you. How
did he shape your own style of playing?
Buddy shows his versatility as he test-drives the new PRS 305 during a Signature Club event at the companys Experience
PRS open house in September. In addition to playing a set of classics, the blues legend joined Carlos Santana for a rendition
of P-Funks Maggot Brain.
Guy has won five Grammys, 23 W.C. Handy

Awards, Billboard magazines Century Award,
the National Medal of Arts, awarded by
the President of the United States, and was
elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in
2005, where he was inducted by his longtime
friend, Eric Clapton. He has recorded dozens of albums, played for millions of people
around the world, and he continues to knock
out blues and rock guitar fans at age 73 when
most of his peers are playing shuffleboard in
retirement communities.
In these days of diminished interest in blues
music, Buddy Guy is one of the very few
practitioners of the genre who continues to
sell out concert halls and outdoor sheds.
He is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of
the most successful blues guitarists in the
world, right behind B.B. King, with whom he
has been touring for the last several months.
With deadly tone ripped from a vintage
Fender Bassman or a new Chicago Blues
Box amp, and a voice that sounds like an

exposed nerve, Guy has never been one to
hold back. His live shows are studies in tension and release, loud and soft, sweetness
and fury, all mixed with brilliant showmanship. Its not uncommon for Buddy to take a
walk through the crowd during an extended
solo. Inevitably, the audience goes crazy. This
author has seen it happen again and again.
In the early days with Chess Records, Guy
did a lot of session work to pay the bills. As
far as his own recordings were concerned,
label president Leonard Chess considered
Guys playing noise, and forced him to
record novelty songs, R&B, instrumentals
and ballads, all outside the realm of Buddys
style. It wasnt until recognition from Hendrix,
Clapton and Beck got back to Chess that
he allowed Guy to record the music in his
head and heart. After a 13-year dry spell
without a record contract, Guy secured a deal
with Silvertone Records and produced the
I went to see him play in Baton Rouge, and

he came out with a gold Les Paul and long
cord so he could run all over the place. I had
never seen a solidbody guitar before. I didnt
even think it was a guitar! He was wearing a
bright red suit. He played great and had all
these fancy stage moves and things he did.
The crowd loved him. I picked up some of
what I do from him. I wanted to look like Slim
and sound like B.B.
Muddy Waters helped you out when you
came to Chicago, didnt he?
I had gotten to Chicago, and I was on my
third day without food when I was introduced
to Muddy. At first, I didnt know who he was.
But he asked me if I was hungry and got me
a salami sandwich. Then he helped me get
into the Chess Studios playing on sessions.
Lets talk about your early recordings. It
seems like the Chess Brothers held you
back in the beginning and didnt let you
record the music you wanted to do.
Why did they do that?
Like I said, I did mostly session work for Chess
to start, but I was on Cobra Records first. It
was a little storefront operation, a small label.
Buddy Guy
Otis Rush recorded for them too. Back then,
if you sold 90,000 45s, you had a big hit. The
Chesss made me record stuff I didnt want to
do because they thought my material and guitar
style was noise. It wasnt until people like Eric
Clapton and Jimi Hendrix brought the harder
style I play to their attention that they let me
loose. Leonard Chess heard Jimi and realized
that he was doing what Id been doing all along.
What was your first guitar?
The first good guitar I had was a Harmony
acoustic that we paid $52 for. I learned to
play on that. I donated that guitar to the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In the early days you played Stratocasters,
then a white Gibson SG Les Paul Custom,
then a Guild Starfire. Now youre back
to Strats again with your own signature
model. Why the Strat?
I had a Les Paul first, but someone broke into
my apartment in Chicago and stole it. I borrowed money from a lady named Theresa, who
owned a bar called Theresas Blues Lounge,
and bought a sunburst Strat. She let me pay it
off by playing there. I still have that guitar. The
white SG Custom I gave to my nephew a long
time ago. It was in my guitar room, and one
day I saw that the headstock was cracked so I
gave it to him. I think he got it fixed.
I played the Guild Starfire until they stopped

making them. The first one they gave me was
red [Writers Note: it was a Starfire III]. Eric
Clapton got one too, around the same time.
Did you have input in designing your signature-model Strat? What is unique about it?
I picked the features I wanted and helped
design the neck shape, a soft V shape,
and they sent me prototypes. I use Fender
Noiseless pickups in them. I went back to
Strats because they can take a lot of wear
and tear. I couldnt afford to be buying guitars all the time back then if they broke. You
know, youd leave it on the floor and somebody would step on it and break something.
The Strat can take a beating.
Take your favorite guitar in a new

direction with the G2M
Universal Guitar-to-MIDI
Converter
I have to ask about the polka-dot finish.

How did that come about?
When I left Louisiana, I told my mother I was
going to Chicago get a job, make some
money and come back home in a polka-dot
Cadillac. She was worried I would get in
trouble and run out of money, and I did. My
mother is gone now. She died in 1968, so I
remembered what I told her and had Fender
do the black with white polka dots. I never
really wanted a polka-dot Cadillac.
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Buddy Guy plays his Martin signature model the JC Buddy Guy Blues Guitar which features Martins jumbo body style with
a cutaway, extraordinary purfling (even for a Martin) and his signature polka dots on the rosette, bridge and fingerboard.
89
Buddy with a Guild Starfire IV at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, CA, May 5. 1980.
I was very surprised to see you using a

Jerry Jones Electric Sitar. How did you
come to use that?
I saw one when I was in Nashville a while
ago, had to have one, and wondered what it
would be like to use one for blues. So I talked to my record company and they agreed
to let me use one on a recording, which was
Skin Deep, the title of my last CD.
Tell us about the amps youre using.
What is it about them you like?
Theyre called the Chicago Blues Box, and
theyre custom made for me. What they did
was reproduce the old Fender Bassman amps
as close as possible to the original ones.
Nobody else was doing that at the time. They
work the best for me onstage. They sound
like the old Bassman amps I used to use.
planetwaves.com/
guitar straps and picks
Planet Waves is a trademark of DAddario & Company, Inc. or its affiliates in the
US and/or other countries. 2009 DAddario & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
2009 Apple Corps Ltd. A Beatles Product. All Rights Reserved.
I saw a photo of you playing a Gretsch guitar

in their catalog last year. Do you use it often?
I dont remember playing a Gretsch.
Doesnt Fender sell Gretsch guitars now?
Man, I got so many guitars. I dont know
what I have anymore.
Tell us about your Martin signature

model acoustic guitar.
Martin contacted me and told me they wanted to make a signature acoustic for me. I
agreed, but only if some of the profits would
go to poor people. The problem today with
this country is that poor people dont get
enough help. The government gets everything and doesnt do enough, so I had them
donate part of the profits to charity. I use a
prototype onstage.
Many of our readers spend a great deal of
time and money perfecting and working
on their tone, sometimes to the point of
obsession. How do you feel about that?
With the old Bassman amps, I got the perfect
tone. I was maybe the first cat to get feedback on the guitar and use it. It happened
one night in a club after I put my guitar
down. Some woman brushed against the G
string and it started to feed back. I sat there
listening to it and started using it. When I
went to San Francisco to play in 1968, people
like The Grateful Dead and all the other
guitarists out there wondered what I was
using that sounded so good. It was an old
Bassman. Then, they all started using them.
Buddy Guy
Blues guitarist Quinn Sullivan lays down some licks while Buddy listens with appreciation. Guy is currently helping the 10-year old guitar prodigy record his first record.
I was also surprised to see you dont use

any distortion pedals onstage, only natural
amp breakup at maximum volume. Have you
experimented with overdrive pedals before?
Its all in the wrists, man. Its about shaking the
wrists and the notes. I learned how to play
before all these effects boxes came around.
I tried distortion boxes and dont need any
because, just like you said, I crank the amp up
all the way and get the distortion naturally.
A wah-wah pedal is the only effect box
you use, isnt it?
Yeah, and I only use it when I talk about Jimi
and get a little of his sounds going onstage.
Youve been a huge influence on guitarists
like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix
and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Can you tell us
any interesting stories about your relationships with any of them?
I was talking to Eric Clapton one day, and I
told him I liked that song he did with Cream,
Strange Brew. He said, You should, theyre
all your licks! All those guys like Jeff Beck
and Stevie Ray said the same things to me
about the way I influenced them. Stevie Ray

was one of my best friends.
Los Angeles, Toronto, it didnt matter. Now,

there are hardly any left.
What were the 70s and 80s like for you? It

was a tough time generally for blues artists.
Its really hard for musicians to make a living

anyway, but its especially hard for blues musicians now with so few places to play. Blues
goes in and out of popularity. Stevie Ray did
a lot to get kids listening to blues, but thats
all changed now. When Im not on the road,
Im down at my club for a couple hours almost
every night checking out whats going on.
That was a bad time for me, man. It was a

tough time for all of us. Nobody was making
any money playing blues. You had disco and
big-hair hard rock and other kinds of music
on the charts, and if you were a blues musician, forget it. It wasnt until the late 80s and
early 90s that things started getting better.
It seems like history is repeating itself. Youre
a well-established star, but lesser-known
blues musicians are having a very hard time
right now getting gigs. Clubs are closing all
over, and attendance seems to be down in
the clubs that still feature blues music.
I can see it with my own club in Chicago.
People dont have money they used to have,
plus the no smoking laws have hurt the clubs.
And people are afraid to have a few drinks
because of the DUI laws. If my club closes,
therell only be about three blues clubs left in
Chicago. Im telling you the truth. There used
to be at least 10 to 20 blues clubs in every
city you went toChicago, Detroit, Phoenix,
Youve been touring extensively with B.B.

King. How has the tour been going so far?
Its been going real good. Weve known each
other a long time, and enjoy working together.
We do another gig tomorrow, and then were
off until February, when we start up again.
I expected to see you and B.B. jam
onstage, but it didnt happen.
Well, B.B. comes in late off the bus, and I
leave right after my show is done, so its
hard to do. People have been asking for us
to jam, so I think Im going to try to make it
happen when we tour again this winter. The
audience always likes it.
91
Buddy Guy
Are there any young blues guitarists you like?
John Mayer and I are the best of friends. I know
he had a lot of pop hits, but hes a blues player
at heart. He played on my last record, with
Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi. Theres a
10-year-old kid named Quinn Sullivan who can
really play guitar. Were making a record on him
right now. I brought him onstage one night,
and he sat with B.B. and I and matched every
one of our licks. Youve got to hear this kid.
Do you have any advice for young
guitarists who want to pursue a
career playing blues today?
Dont ever put the guitar down; just keep playing it. I used to put my guitar down in the corner
and stare at it when it got too hard or Id get
frustrated, but then Id pick it up and start again.
You cant give it up. If you believe in yourself and

the music, then do it until you are successful.
Growing up in Louisiana, coming to Chicago
dead broke and hungry, through the tough
years and finally to well-deserved stardom
today with all the benefits, did you ever
think your life would turn out this way?
No, man. I could never see that far ahead. Im
very lucky to be where I am today. I cant read
or write music at all, and people used to tell
me I had to learn scales and all this technical
stuff, but I never did. If you have heart and soul
and believe in what youre doing, keep doing
it. I figured Id get a job, play a little guitar and
someday retire. I didnt see no future in playing
the guitar. But things happened that I didnt
plan, and it was a once-in-a-lifetime deal for
me. I still dont think Im good enough.
The Buddy Guy Signature Wah pedal from Dunlop
Buddys GeArBox
Guitars:
Fender Buddy Guy Signature Custom Shop
Stratocaster, blonde finish, Fender Noiseless
pickups, serial number 0042.
Fender Mexican black and white Buddy Guy
Signature Polka Dot Stratocaster, Fender
Noiseless pickups.
Jerry Jones Electric Sitar
Martin JC Buddy Guy Signature
acoustic prototype.
Buddy has also been known to use a
Telecaster on occasion.
Amps:
Two Chicago Blues Box Buddy Guy Signature
amps, built to replicate the look and tone of
a vintage Fender Bassman, both with four
10" Jensen speakers and fitted with Groove
Tubes. Buddy turns everything up full, except

the bass, which is cranked down. He also
uses Fender Vibroverb, Twin Reverb and
Bassman reissues, depending upon whats
available from backline rental companies.
Effects, Etc:
Dunlop Buddy Guy Signature Wah.
Shure UR-4D Wireless.
Radial JD-7 Signal Splitter.
Accessories:
Ernie Ball strings .011.048.
Dunlop medium triangular picks imprinted
with Buddys name.
Jodi Head guitar straps.
Vic Firth 5A drumsticks (used for birdlike
effects on the strings).
[The author wishes to thank Buddys tech, the very friendly and gracious Gilbert Garza, and
Buddys Remy Martin Cognac for their combined help in preparing this article.]
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From Amazing Phrasing
(00695583)
Call and Response

Phrasing Ideas for Creating Memorable Solos
By TOM KOlB
One of the most popular tactics used in blues soloing is call-and-response phrasing. Quite literally a conversational device, the call and response can be used to
great effect in drawing in listeners as they anticipate how your musical conversation will play itself out.
Similar to the traditional blues lyrics format, call-and-response phrasing usually comes in groups of three consecutive phrases: introductory phrase, an exact or
close repeat of the introductory phrase, and a resolving phrase.
This solo uses call-and-response techniques to navigate two choruses of a 12-bar blues in A. In the first chorus, each call/response/conclusion spans four measures, making a total of three sets of call-and-response phrases. The second chorus, however, takes a different approach by extending the phrasing, resulting in
one long call/response/conclusion section.
BlUeS
Click here to hear sound clips for this lesson.

99
AcOUSTic
From Crash Course
on Guitar Tunings (00695814
lute Tuning
Tackling the Worlds Oldest Tuning
By JOE BENNETT
This is the oldest tuning in the book. In
fact, its probably the worlds oldest tuning.
It dates back to the 1500s and the guitars
predecessors the lute, viola da gamba
and vihuela of the European Renaissance.
Considering that its such a challenging tuning to use, it may come as a surprise that it
only differs from regular tuning by one note.
For those used to regular tuning, lute tuning

is actually more confusing than something
more heavily altered such as open D or
DADGAD, because the chord shapes are so
nearly familiar. Indeed, sometimes this alone
can throw up its own ideas. Try a regular
A chord shape at the second fret youre
actually playing A major 7.
Lute tuning is rarely used in rock and blues,

but you do occasionally find it in folk music.
English fingerstyle player John Renbourns track
Bicycle Tune is one notable example; the guitar transcriptions of Renaissance lutenist John
Dowland are also, unsurprisingly, in lute tuning.
The best way to get your brain round the

tuning is to think one string across. Play a
normal D chord shape, but move it to the
fourth, third and second strings (one string
across). Do the same with a normal A shape,
then simply strum between the two shapes.
Youre actually playing chords of A and E.
OK, so this example doesnt actually sound
any different from normal tuning, but it
might help you get started.
How to tune it (from regular tuning)

Fret the fourth (D) string at the fourth fret. Tune
the open third (G) string down until it matches.
The real benefit, of course, comes from that

lovely open F# note in the middle of the
guitar. The song Ive written for this tuning
makes deliberate use of this note, with a cascading harmonics effect.
Because of the deep register and simple
open chord shapes, the tuning would lend
itself well to punk or grunge rhythm parts,
but no-ones done it yet.
Click here for sound clips, expanded examples and a sample tune for this lesson.
Photo
: Jam
es M
inch
in III
J E R RY C A N T R E L L
For over twenty

years Jerry Cantrell has been
recognized as an artist responsible
for defining the sound of a generation.
Throughout his musical exploration,
one element has remained constant:
the G&L Rampage.
G&L Musical Instruments is
proud to announce the Rampage
Jerry Cantrell Signature Model.
Available at your
authorized G&L dealer.
Black Gives
Way to Blue
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09.29.09
G&L MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Fullerton, California glguitars.com
rOcK
legato Phrasing
From DVD Guitar Shred At a Glance

(00696020)
Liquid Lead Lines
By ChAd JOhNsON
Picking every single note of every speedy passageespecially a long onecan lead to whats best described as typewriter phrasing. To remedy this, guitarists
can use legato techniques like hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides to assume part of the work done by the picking hand, with the added benefit of making some
phrases faster than we could alternate-pick them.
That being said, a common pitfall among guitarists using legato techniques in fast-paced lines is to rush through the legato parts simply because its a little
easier to execute. So as you play through the exercises and sequences in this section, try to evenly space all notes, focusing on the click of the metronome and
the tap of your foot.
The first example is a rock lick based on the A Dorian mode. Here, focus on keeping steady time at the spot where a hammer-on is followed by two consecutive
pull-offs in beats 2 and 3. Again, practice slowly and steadily, and keep your foot tapping with the metronome.
This next lick is one of Eddie Van Halens favorite moves, where he alternates hammer-ons and picked notes, from string to string. Take note here of the fingering pattern, also one of Van Halens creations, which has come to be known as the EVH scale. Because of its harmonic ambiguity, its not often used in the
context of melodic contour but rather as a vehicle for fast passages connecting point A to point B within a solo.
The alternation of picked and legato triplet groupings will really test your ability to stay in tempo. Start slowly enough that you dont rush the legato portions.
To further round out your speed-building regimen, you can go back and practice all of the scales and sequences youve learned, using hammer-ons and pull-offs
exclusively, and picking only when a string comes into play for the first time for maximum efficiency.
For example, heres how the A minor pentatonic groups of three sequence sounds using this approach.

jAzz
The
Tetratonic scale
Jazzy Lines Based on the Four-note Symmetrical Scale
From Modern Jazz Concepts

for Guitar (00695711)
By sId JACOBs
By definition, these non-diatonic scales would seem to have little use for musicians improvising over traditional harmonies. They create their own
language and harmonic environment, but they can also be used to alter common harmonic situations. This seems a logical place to start.
Just as any five-note scale qualifies as pentatonic, any four-note scale is tetratonic. Here, however, we will use the symmetrical tetratonic scale
based on the tritone.
There are six different tritone intervals (counting the inversions), and from each a different tetratonic symmetrical scale can be built. Here are
the six different scales.
First, lets look at some logical fingerings of the scale. Three possible left-hand fingerings are given.
Another fingering uses consecutive, or legato picking.

True
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INTERVIEW
By Bob Cianci
After Brad Paisley and I exchanged greetings, I asked him, How
does it feel to be on the cover of People magazine? In a voice that
revealed a hint of mischief, he replied, This is gonna be a different
type of interview. It was just that.
Brad Paisleys star has burned like a blazing torch since his first CD,
Who Needs Pictures, hit the charts in 1999. Mixing country music
tradition with red-hot Tele picking, contemporary sounds, and cutting-edge production values, Paisley is perhaps the hottest country
superstar in ages. Hes scored over 10 million album sales, 14 No.1
hits, boasts a virtual army of fans that cuts across generations, and
sells out wherever he performs. He has won three Grammys and
multiple Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music
awards. As of this writing, he has been nominated for seven more
CMA trophies.
From the beginning, Brad managed to use his road band in the
studiono small accomplishment in Nashvilleand hes charted
his own course every step of the way, fortunate to have management and a record label that have given him free reign to do as he
pleases. Very few Nashville artists can boast his accomplishments as
a singer, songwriter and prodigious instrumentalist. Unlike People,
however, well focus on Brad Paisley, guitarist and gearhead
extraordinaire. From his home in Franklin, TN, Brad and I spoke
about equipment, his influences, his equipment, tone, his wifes tolerance of that peculiar affliction known as G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition
Syndrome), his equipment and more equipment, his trademark
pink 68 Fender Paisley Telecaster. And by the way, his last name
really is Paisley.
Lets start by talking about the Play album. Can you tell us how
that came about and what you had to do to make it happen?
Not a lot. I did a Christmas album between Time Well Wasted and
5th Gear, and I had such a good time making it that I wanted to
do another low-pressure record and not have to worry about hit
singles. I enjoy making commercially viable records, but theres
something to be said about making an album thats selfish in a way.
I had always wanted to do an instrumental record. The records that
stand the test of time to me are instrumental albums, like Ah Via
Musicom by Eric Johnson. We didnt want to do something that
was self-important, and we werent out to save the world or win
song of the year.
It sounds like there was some compromising that must have
occurred with that record. Im sure your record company wanted
hit singles, didnt they?
Photo by Kurt Markus
They didnt expect any singles. It was really easy. They said, Heres your
budget. Its lower than usual, but if you can make the album for that
much, go do it. After we finished it, they were ecstatic. Joe Galante,
the president of my record company, believes that artists need to grow,
and I respect him for that. Of course, we had a hit with that track with
Keith Urban, Start A Band, but it wasnt a preconceived thing to try
and have a hit. Doing an instrumental album was great for me personally.
We played on The David Letterman Show around that time, and their
109
Photo by Ben Enos, 2008
guitarist Sid McGinnis came out and talked with

me, along with Paul Shaffer, so it did a lot for
me as a guitarist.
How did the track Cluster Pluck come
about, and how did it come together with
all the guest guitarists?
Those were my top seven guys: James
Burton, Albert Lee, Redd Volkaert, John
Jorgenson, Vince Gill, Steve Wariner and
Brent Mason. If you put them all in a
blender, it would probably come out as me.
They were all influences. I think all of us
try to emulate our heroes, but were never
as good as they are. It was a real thrill to
have them all participate. James Burton is
the father of all those great Telecaster licks,
and it was an honor to have him as part of
that track. He had requested to meet me
because hed seen me on TV. James played
that Paisley Tele with Elvis and Emmylou
Harris and made it a very collectible instrument. Today, those original Paisley Teles go
for about $15,000.
I just saw his original Paisley Telecaster in
the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
I ThInk The SMarTeST

ThIng an arTIST Or
Band COuLd dO TOday
IS TO FInd a PrOduCer
WITh a STudIO, Make
a reCOrd WIThOuT a
deaL Then SeLL IT TO a
LaBeL. TheyLL Buy IT
JuST The Way IT IS IF
They LIke IT."
They have so many great guitars on display there.
Do you agree or disagree with the
Nashville tradition of using studio musicians
versus an artists road band in the studio?
I definitely disagree. I use my band and
have from the beginning. My band is highly
capable, and I have great drummer, but I can
understand that if you go into the studio with
your road drummer or any musician who isnt
familiar with the recording studio, you will
have problem. There are a lot of reasons why

they use studio musicians. Nashville is a very
small, tight-knit community. Its also because
those studio cats are just such great players.
When I got my record deal, I kind of got on
my knees and begged them to let me use my
band, and they agreed. They said, Cut four
tracks and see how they come out and well
go from there. I knew my guys could do it.
Fortunately, those four tracks were all hits, so
I have been using my road band ever since.
Im very, very lucky; I get to do what I want,
which is a rare thing. I think the smartest
thing an artist or band could do today is to
find a producer with a studio, make a record
without a deal then sell it to a label. Theyll
buy it just the way it is if they like it.
How did you get started playing guitar?
It was my grandfather. He used to sit in a chair
on the front porch and play guitar. He worked
for the railroad and didnt go to work until
1 pm, so he sat and played one song after
another. He was in love with the guitar, and
used to give me advice and tell me that playing guitar would be a life-changing thing
111
for me. He taught me how to play initially, and

then I took lessons.
One of the reasons we wanted to feature
you in Premier Guitar is because youre a
self-admitted Gear Hound. What were
your first instruments?
I had a Sears Silvertone my grandfather
gave me, then a Sekova ES-335 copy. I
didnt have a high-quality instrument until
I got a Tokai electric. You know how it
isyou want a guitar thats different, one
your friend doesnt have, so you buy it.
Then your friend gets something really cool
and you have to have one like that, so you
buy one. Next thing you know, you have a
house full of guitars.
I saw the photo of you with an old non-reverse

Firebird in the booklet of Play. Was that the
guitar you borrowed for that track with Steve
Wariner, More Than Just This Song?
What is it about Bills guitars you like?

Yes, that Firebird belonged to my guitar
teacher, Hank Goddard, from Wheeling, WV.
He was a fantastic jazz player and a great
teacher. Had he gone to Nashville at the
right time, Im sure he would have done very
well, made a lot of money, and would have
provided a better life for himself and his
family. But he wouldnt leave West Virginia.
He had this idea that Nashville musicians
were always on tour, but session musicians
do their playing like a normal job and go
home and have dinner with their families.
Its Teles in the studio and onstage, of

course, but do you use any other acoustics
and electrics either live or in the studio?
Yes, that was the one.

I knew it had to have been the G-Bender. Lets
discuss your amplification. You used to rely on
Vox AC30s, now youre using Dr. Z amps.
Its been said you were responsible for

bringing the Telecaster back to country
music after it seemed to disappear. Do you
think thats true?
Thats right, but it works for him. I cant take

credit for bringing the Tele back.
Thank you. Youve mentioned that you

prefer using a G-Bender versus a B-Bender.
Why is that?
Was that the guitar you used on Waitin

On A Woman?
I have a 70s Les Paul, but I have never felt

comfortable with it for some reason. Its
never felt right to me. It isnt nimble, if thats
the right word.
Keith Urban plays a Les Paul Junior; thats

never been considered a country guitar.
Bill makes guitars the way you want them.

You might wait eight months for one, but if
youre willing to spend two to three grand for
one of his guitars, youll get one exactly the
way you want it. Ive known Bill since I was
eight years old. He worked in a music store
in West Virginia. That was a nice write-up you
did in your magazine on Bill a while ago.
I just like the sound better. Its less piercing

and treblymore subtle and again, different. I wanted to sound like myself and not
be compared to Steve Wariner or Clarence
White. People think I thought up the
G-Bender, but it was Joe Glaser who came
up with the idea of a double bender years
ago. My G-Bender guitar pretty much stays at
home now.
Im identified with that Tele sound, but I use

lots of stuff. I use an old Gretsch. I have a
Gibson ES-335 that I use in the studio. I have
a Music Man Albert Lee model thats like
a Strat. I love Gibson hollowbody guitars:
ES-335s, Byrdlands, and those later Chet
Atkins models that Gibson made. It makes
me look like I have some class! For acoustics,
I like older Gibsons and Martins, as well some
newer handmade guitars.
Is it back? I dont think its really back. I dont

hear a lot of Tele-heavy stuff going on. I was
a big fan of Buck Owens and Don Rich, and
most of my heroes play Teles, so it was natural for me. I was just hoping they didnt laugh
me out of town! Country music runs such a
wide gamut these days, from stuff like mine
to harder-edged music, so you have guys
using different guitars.
blue paisley Esquire, and a new blue sparkle

paisley Esquire. I also use a Gibson Country
Gentleman and a Music Man Albert Lee.
Can you run down your main stage

guitars for us?
I use my 68 Paisley Telecaster, and the rest of
them are custom made for me by Bill Crook,
except for my mutt Tele that has a 52 refinished body with a 56 neck. The ones Bill has
made for me include a black paisley Tele, a
I always loved the sound of AC30s, but after

my first major tour and a few good falls down
the steps, I decided I should find something
with that British sound that could withstand
the road. I tried a Dr. Z with 10 speakers,
and it sounded like my old AC30. Mike Zaite
has a philosophy: make world-class amps and
make them affordable. I think theyre just
about the least expensive of all the boutique
amps out there. Ive used Mikes amps on TV
and on tour, and he sends me amps to try at
home, things hes working on. Its been fun to
watch the company grow.
Live, I use the Dr. Z Remedy and a special
Z-Wreck that was made for me. Mike, Ken
Fischer and I collaborated on that. I actually
use all kinds of amps in the studio, including
old Marshalls with 6V6s. I always am on the
lookout for something thats different. Im
some ways. I always felt you werent a real

guitar player unless you could handle some
jazz modulations and changes. I joined the
jazz band in school and learned standards
like How High The Moon and Just The
Way You Look Tonight. Tunes that people
like Frank Sinatra sang. I love that music. I
was able to play in a more jazzy style on my
Christmas album and get away with it.
The catch phrase at Premier Guitar is The
relentless pursuit of tone. How would you
F L I P
always looking for that angle. I like to switch

amps onstage for different things.
Did you ever think it might be easier to
simplify your live rig, and if so, how would
you do that?
Its pretty involved onstage just because it
can be. I can get away with it. Sure, I could
do a show with one amp and two pedals, but
it wouldnt be too good for the people in the
back rows.
Talk to us about your stompboxes.
I use Keeley pedals and Keeley-modded pedals,
as well as a few other things, like the Fulltone
Echodrive and a modded 808 Tube Screamer.
I dont use compression on my Tele, but I do
use a lot of delay. Robert Keeley is just great at
tweaking pedals and building new ones based
on older designs. Hell hear something, take it
into his shop and change the character completely. It goes back to what we said about not
sounding like anybody else, about having a different guitar than your friend. Its the same way
with pedals. You always want to sound different.
Robert takes things to sonic places where no
one has gone before. Hes very passionate about
his work, and I like passionate people.
I hear a lot of jazzy chord changes and riffs
going on in your music. Is that true?
Definitely. I like jazz guitar, and I think country really isnt that far removed from jazz in
define great tone, and do you agree its a

very subjective thing?
It is very subjective. But to me, when someone
says, I love that, then thats great tone. Im
very picky about little stuff. If Im playing a clean
sound with my Tele, I can tell if a cable has been
changed. You really can hear those things. Id say
that great tone is when raw emotion is allowed
to pass unencumbered from your hands to the
speakers so people can relate to it. I love tone
when its allowed to bloom.
T H E
S W I T C H
Wiring options for your

Stratocaster: Choose
one configuration from
the many available, and
live with it. Or buy
a ToneShaper, and
reconfigure your wiring
whenever youd like.
Easily. Quickly. And
with no soldering, no
batteries, and no extra
controls or switches
on your pickguard.
Assign your tone
controls to the pickups
you want them
assigned to, and select
the capacitor values
that work for you.
Choose blending options
that allow you to combine
pickups in new and
tone-ful ways.
Maybe youd like some
series/parallel options?
We thought so.
All of this, plus other cool
stuff, at your fingertips.
Time to be the boss.
You drive.
D I S T R I B U T E D
772.770.1919
B Y:
www.acmeguitarworks.com
113
Does your wife understand your

obsession with gear?
that explanation on your wife next time you plan

to drop a few grand on a custom shop axe!]
the most amazing conversation up there and

you never said a word.
Yes, she does, fortunately. Its not a big issue

because these are the tools of my trade and I
can afford what I want. This is how I make my
living. If youre in the construction business you
need to buy bulldozers and tools. Im a musician,
so I buy musical equipment. [Authors Note: try
My wife is so jealous. The other night, Vince

Gill and I went to the Belcourt Theatre in
Nashville to see Robben Ford, and we went
onstage and sat in. My wife was in the audience. Later on, she said to me, You guys had
She and I have always had an agreement that

if either one of us spends more than $5000 on
anything, we discuss it first you can buy a lot
of cool stuff for less than five thousand bucks!
Click here to read more about Brads

gear from Bill Crook, Mike Dr. Z Zaite
and Robert Keeley.
Brads Live GearBox

Guitars: 1968 Paisley Fender Telecaster;
three Bill Crook Tele or Esquire replicas in
black paisley, blue paisley and blue sparkle
paisley; 52/56 Mutt modded Fender
Telecaster; Gibson Chet Atkins Country
Gentleman; Music Man Albert Lee hardtail.
Amps: Dr. Z Remedy and Z-Wreck; Vox
AC30 handwired by Tony Bruno; Tony Bruno
Underground 30.
Effects: Four delays: Way Huge Aquapuss,

Modded Boss DD-2 and DD-3, Maxon
AD-999; Fulltone Echodrive; Modded
Ibanez 808 Tube Screamer; Modded Boss
Blues Driver; Hermida Audio Technology
Zendrive; Keeley Compressor and Katana
pedals. Line 6 M-13 with 12 presets for
tremolo, vibrato and other effects; Modded
Dunlop wah-wah.
Strings: Ernie Ball .010-.046.

Picks: Ernie Ball medium or heavy.
Cords: Custom made by Guitar-Cable.com
Misc.: Shure wireless; custom straps made by
Matt Ali of West Virginia.
The author would like to thank Bill Crook,
Mike Dr. Z Zaite, Robert Keeley and Brads
tech, Chad Weaver, for their help in preparing
this article.
russian roulette
Born in the USA
For More Information on Russian Roulette Go To:

WWW. GARYKRAMERGUITAR.COM
Copyright 2009 -Gary Kramer Guitar

Gary Kramer Guitar Company is not related to or affiliated with Gibson Musical Instruments of Nashville, Tennessee.
BLACK CAT HAS JUST RELEASED FOUR GREAT

PEDALS FROM THE ORIGINAL LINE:
The famous Freddie Fuzz :
Black Cat OD-1

Modernized version of the Univox classic:
Black Cat Super Fuzz

OD-1 and Silicon Fuzz Face in one box:
Black Cat OD-Fuzz
SAME GREAT DESIGNS,

BETTER BUILT WITH A
NEW BOUTIQUE LOOK.
Based on the Maestro Bass Brassmaster:
Black Cat Bass Octave Fuzz
Sara says,
Theyre Purr-fect!
BOUTIQUE GUITAR EFFECTS SINCE 1993
MADE IN THE USA
203.764.2644
WWW.BLACKCATPEDALS.COM
One of the effects displays at Maken Music in Chicago.
FEATURE
By Tom HughEs
117
Its been nearly five years since I wrote

Analog Mans Guide To Vintage Effects.
The book has sold remarkably well for a
self-published tome with no distribution
written for a specific, niche audience on
such an obscure topic.
There was a chapter in the book titled

State of the Stomp Today, where I summarized the stompbox scene as it then
existed. Well, a lot can happen in five
years, so when the folks at Premier Guitar
asked me to write a feature for their
pedal issue, it seemed like a great opportunity to look at some of whats happened
since that time.
One thing I noted in Analog Mans Guide
was the then striking proliferation of new
up-and-coming pedal makers. Between 2001
and 2004 they seemed to have come out
of the woodwork. Little did I know it was
just the first trickle of the flood to come.
The boutique pedal market of today far
exceeds anything that existed five years
ago. Oversaturation does not even begin to
describe it. Its been estimated that there
are (ready for this?) more than 2,000 different pedal brands currently available on
the market. Its absolutely staggering! This
figure, of course, includes everything from
the biggest, most well-known brands, such
as Boss or Electro-Harmonix, to the smallest
little one-man startups selling homemade
Fuzz Face clones with Sharpie graphics on
eBay. Not surprisingly, the majority of brands
accounted for here are somewhere closer to
the latter category. I used to try and keep
track of it all, but Ive long since given up.
Suffice it to say, theres a lot to choose from
in todays pedal market.
Lets Talk about Whats HOT!

Fuzz
Yes, fuzz! But not just any fuzz. Were talking
some serious old-school fuzz, built like they
did it in the days of yore. Were talking berboutique clones of exotic English fuzz pedals
from the 60s, like the Burns Buzzaround,
Tone Bender MKI and Tone Bender MKII.
Were talking NOS obsolete transistors and
capacitors wired point-to-point on tag board
or perf. D*A*M, JMI, Skin Pimp, and Creepy
Fingers are the boutique Fuzz du jour right
now. Tomorrow, who knows? As long as its
fuzz. Fuzzes of all flavors are what players
seem to be most interested in these days.
Heck, there was even a whole movie about
it. Seriously, its called Fuzz: The Sound That
Changed the World (its really more about the
boutique pedal business).
YouTube
The latest online phenomenon (aside from
social networking) is that behemoth streaming video entity known as YouTube. Videos
good and bad alike can be found demonstrating all types of musical gear, and people
just cant seem to get enough of it. Its interesting to see (via the YouTube hit counter)
just how many people will watch someones
crappy cell phone video on that little viewer
with the super compressed audio. But if its
a demo of that cool new pedal youre gassing for, you somehow find yourself watching it, and watching it again, and again
and again. Fortunately, there have been
some good video demos made, and more
are being uploaded every day. Yep, you can
pretty much find anything on YouTube.
Not Quite as Hot,

But Still Smoldering
Expensive Boutique Overdrives
Although still very popular, the boutique
overdrive market reached its zenith sometime in 2007, and has since throttled back
D*A*M Fuzz Sound
from sheer insanity to healthy enthusiasm.

The Clay Jones Overdrive (only 52 made),
Landgraff Dynamic Overdrive, and Klon
Centaur with the Gold Horseyman were
among the most expensive at anywhere from
$500 to over $1,000 used. The Zen Drive,
Tim/Timmy, and King of Tone were de rigueur
among The Gear Page set, consistently fetching more on the used market than they were
new. But the recession seems to have tempered that I gotta have that now mentality,
and used prices have stabilized and become
more reasonable.
Todays Typical Pedal User
Not Even Close
One of the most striking things about the

average modern guitarist is the amount of
attention and importance he places on his
gear. Choices about every facet of a players
rig are considered, from instrument to amp
and everything in between. Nothing is overlooked, including cables and other accessories that players didnt think twice about 20
or 30 years ago. To a large extent, this was
already happening at the time the book was
published, but in the intervening years since,
it seems almost as if many players have put
their tone under a microscope.
Rackmount Multi-Effects
We hate to disappoint anyone, but these
have yet to make a comeback. This may
come as a shock to a few headbanging hairmetal shredmeisters, but its true. Hey, dont
kill the messenger, Im just telling it like it is.
Maybe in a few years things will be different. I mean, who would have guessed that
Fenders and Gibsons from the 70s would
actually become collectible?
To a large extent, the average guitarist now

owns a whole lot more gear than in earlier
decades. Items that were once deemed
luxuries are now indispensible. In addition
to owning several different types of guitar
pedals, its a fairly common practice to own
two or more of the same type of pedal, particularly when it comes to dirt boxes. Its not
enough to get a crunchy or distorted sound,
JMI MKI Wooden Case Prototype Tone Bender
119
or more sustain for singing leads. We need

one overdrive for a chunky rhythm, an amplike mild OD, buffered clean boost, a nice
smooth distortion, an old school germanium
fuzz, another fuzz thats a little more wild
and thats just for our 30-watt/single-coil rig.
We need a whole other set of pedals for our
50-watt/humbucker rig.
The Internet continues to play a large role
in influencing and informing the choices and
decisions of todays guitarist. We live in an
age of information overload, where information about any topic imaginable can be found
literally at the tips of our fingers (whether
or not that info is accurate is another story).
Gear-centric Internet forums and bulletin
boards are even more popular and diverse
then ever. Harmony Central and The Gear
Page continue to top the list of busiest bulletin boards, with Harmony Central boasting
an astonishing 200,000+ membership, and
almost 52,000 members at The Gear Page.
Thats a lot of gear talk!
There are plenty more active gear forums out

there, with memberships ranging from a few
hundred to several thousand. So you can just
imagine the enormity of useful and interesting info being exchanged among members.
Theres also a lot of bunk and off-topic nonsense, and you may have to weed through a
lot of it to get to what youre looking for. And
unfortunately, theres plenty of erroneous
information as well, along with no shortage
of misinformed individuals all too willing to
share their opinions with anyone they think is
listening. But hey, thats the internet. With a
little common sense, and a healthy skepticism
for hype, reliable info is available to anyone
whos willing to put in a little footwork.
Notes From The Underground

In preparation for this piece, I posted
some questions on a few of the online
guitar forums that I frequent, asking the
forumites (as the registered members are
known) various questions to help describe
the current stompbox scene. There were
a lot of great replies and a number of

astute observations from players who
are immersed in the pedal world. The
commentary quickly revealed a couple
of recurring themes that demonstrate a
paradox of sorts. First, there was praise for
the variety and quality of todays offerings,
as well as the abundance and availability
of information about the products. At the
same time, there was a sense that this has
perhaps resulted in having too much of a
good thing. The statements below are a
reflection of the first sentiment:
I honestly think its better than ever right
now. You have a ton of variety to choose
from, high quality builds, innovative new
stuff, etc. More info at your fingertips than
ever before to make informed buying decisions, and the forum system to connect
directly with manufacturers. This is the golden age people, seriously.
From my personal stash: Z.Vex Box of Rock, Klon Centaur, custom Analog Man King of Tone, Hermida Zendrive, Landgraff Dynamic Overdrive, Paul Cochrane Timmy.
I agree. When I was first playing guitar, I

mostly remember just seeing Boss, Digitech
and Ibanez pedals at the stores. But now,
with so many people offering pedal mods to
popular big brand pedals (Boss, Ibanez...),
and so many small companies putting out
high quality pedals, which often are better
quality at a comparable price to the big companies, some of the larger companies are taking note. You see Danelectro finally offering
metal housing again instead of plastic, and
true bypass... and Digitech releasing their
Hardwire line...
options like Barber and the Timmy, etc. as

opposed to just TS and Boss overdrives! I
really like the options out there right now.
I think one of the best helps for the pedal

scene has, of course, been the Internetwith
forums like this, and demos being released
by everybody on YouTube, we can find out
about the amazing pedals being made (or
modded) by these independent guys, which
we wouldnt have found out about if we were
just looking at our local stores. Sure, there
is a lot of the same ... but at least there are
More and more top-quality boutique

hand-built pedals are coming into the $150
range. Builders are way more up-front about
the lineages of their circuits and what you
can expect them to do. Samples and reviews
and discussions from the average Joe are
more available everyday. This is all a huge
win-win for the GASSY masses such as us.
THE INTERNET ROCKS.
One of gearmanndudes popular YouTube demos.
The majority of replies, however, conveyed an overwhelming feeling that the

pedal market of today is immensely oversaturated, especially with regards to the
smaller, part-time builder brands. A lot
of the respondents were brief and to the
point: Overcrowded, Too many choices,
Lotsa the same stuff in different packages,
Enough of the same OD, and Heres the
new box, the same as the old box were just
some of the statements made to this effect.
121
Coupled with this was the prevailing attitude

that the bulk of new makers were offering
products that were essentially the same as
what was already abundantly available, the
biggest offender being the boutique Tube
Screamer clone, and dirt pedals in general.
The following are typical examples of this
vein of criticism:
I think that in the last 2 or 3 years there has
been an explosion of companies offering a
lot of the same product.
It would be nice if there was a little more
diversity in the offerings. Seems like almost
every site I go to has the same basic kit (higain/low-gain fuzz, OD, line buffer, distortion). Of course, that is what sells, so that is a
fair situation. I am just saying it would be nice
to see more freaky stuff.
In the 60s, great players made wonderful
music with just a few available effects. Now,
hobbyists and part-timers spend thousands
on a multitude of too-similar-to-compare pedals, often trying to sound like those players
back then with their few primitive effects.
These days it does feel less like the
cream rising to the top and a bit more
like panning for gold.
I think the two sides are merging:

mass producers are starting to add more
boutique features (Danelectro, etc), and
people are using more and more pedals on
their boards nowadays (because now you
can actually buy a board instead of having
to make one).
Customers have set a new bar for what

somebody will pay for a brand new pedal
with the last few D*A*M eBay auctions topping out at over $1400 and the going rate
of Cornish pedals. People will drop serious
cash for fuzz.
Since 2000 there has been an exponential

rise in manufacturers and diversity of designs.
While many builders are focusing on clones
of vintage pedals exclusively, there are many
more that are pushing the boundaries of
effects design. There still remains the issue
of the boutique vs. generic consumer. Forum
readers always believe that they are the center of the effects world and everyone knows
about their discussions. However, boards
belonging to professional musicians overwhelmingly show that the readily available and
mass produced effects are still the primary
focus of major working musicians. As in years
past, this continues to shed light on the relatively small scope of Internet discussion boards
in the grand scheme of guitar playing.
I think the builder has taken a much too

prominent place in the market (compared to)
the actual products. Sometimes it seems like
people are more loyal to the builders than
the products they put out.
You can get the most pimp, top of the

line, status symbol pedal for 300-500
bucks. 300-500 bucks will get you nothing
good as far as guitars and amps go. This
is the economy at work. People gotta be
There were many other interesting observations as well, interspersed within these main
themes. Here are some random examples
that stood out, which help illustrate the sort
of highly engaging conversations taking place
in the forums:
spending their money on something, so

now pedals are extremely hot.
Beggars are choosers. You show someone
an $80 Boss pedal and Whoa this is crap. Im
too good for this. But you show the same
person a $250 pedal and theyre like Whoa,
this is too expensive. People wanna have
their cake, eat it, AND get a refund.
Okay, I have to admit, that last comment was
one of my favorites. But there were many
such observations and dialogs. And though
only a small sampling, the commentary above
represents the typical exchange of ideas
among the gear heads on the frontline of
todays thriving, ever-evolving stomp scene.
Theres never any shortage of great gear conversation, thats for sure.
Well, here we are, just about out of time and
space and I feel like Ive barely scratched
the surface. This is only a snapshot through
the Hubble scope of the continually expanding, seemingly limitless universe of the
stompbox. Im continually amazed at how
passionate some of us can be about all of
this. We gear geeks are certainly a special
breed. I hope youve enjoyed this little pedal
excursion as much as I have. Heres to good
tone; to each his own. Until we meet again,
do keep on stompin!
Its perfect for my smaller gigs, and

people always flip when they hear such
a big tone from a small amp.
Reb Beach
WHITESNAKE, WINGER
Photo: Paul Michael Hughes
HT-5 USER
Designed and Engineered by

Blackstar Amplification UK
For your nearest dealer visit www.blackstaramps.com/us
FeaTUre
Illustration by Brandon Keehner
THE STOMPING
GROUNDS
5
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o
t
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womp
By JORdAN WAGNER, BRIAN BARR, sTEVE OUIMETTE, GARy GUzMAN, KENNy RARdIN ANd CHRIs BURGEss
Once a year, Christmas comes a little early at

Premier Guitar. Thats what it feels like when
our offices are flooded with a heaping pile
of pedals in anticipation of our yearly Pedal
Roundup. Of course, this year was no different. As we continue to grow our audience, so
does every pedal manufacturers interest to be
included in our yearly pedal extravaganza.
Unfortunately, we cant possibly include every
single pedal we receive. If we did, youd be
holding a Premier Guitar issue three to four
times its normal size, with a back brace around
your mid-section to help support its weight!
We have, however, managed to pick out
what we think is a very nice selection of pedals that should please the wide-ranging and
ever-changing gear pallet of our diversified
readership. Youll find everything from killer

reverb pedals to new phasers and delays to
overdrive/distortion stomps to compressors,
and much, much more.
MODULATION
Weve also assembled an industrious bunch

of gear junkies (initials are at the end of each
review) to pore through these pedals and offer
up quality reviews that should definitely help
you make an informed decision the next time
you hit the web or local music store in search
of that next gotta-have-it pedal for your
board. Theres something for everyone, and
we feel privileged that youve chosen us to
help you make your next pedal purchase decision. And dont forget to go online at premierguitar.com and check out some of the pedal
reviews we couldnt fit in the issue. Enjoy!
One thing Ive learned from playing live is that

you probably shouldnt rely on soundmen to
enhance your guitar tone. Most of the time,
youll be lucky if they boost up your solos when
theyre supposed to! Like most things, if you
want something done right (and to sound right)
you need to do it yourself, and that includes
using sound-enhancing effects such as delay,
chorus and reverb.
FUchs PLUsh Good verBraTions
Good Verbrations, from Fuchs Plush line of

pedals, is a nice addition to your effects collection. It features the same reverb circuit as Fuchs
125
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NEW 2009 HAND-WIRED RANGE

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The Stomping Grounds

Verbrator pedal, but with a slightly different
algorithm. Unlike a lot of other reverb pedals,
Good Verbrations allows you to adjust both the
level and the decay of the reverb signal. You can
have a short tight decay, or a longer lush decay,
which is a welcome addition for any guitarist who
would like a little more control over their reverb.
The pedal is simple: one reverb and two parameters, mix and decay. The reverb circuit is an
audiophile grade 16kHz bandwidth digital circuit.
pedalseach of them featured in our pedal

roundupare no different. All of them were
designed by Michael Laiacona, who just happens
to be the original designer of the MXR Phase 90,
The Distortion Plus and the Dyna Comp pedals.
Of course, each of the latter pedals has found
their way onto countless recordings spanning
many genres, becoming highly collectable units
in the process.
The reverb in Good Verbrations has characteristics between a spring and hall reverb, and being
able to control the decay allows you to be more
expressive and musical in your playing. Youre not
just stuck with a standard reverb sound found
on other pedals or amps. With a clean sound, I
turned up the decay and found it was great for
slow, melodic and mysterious sounding phrases,
while a little gain gave it a bit more smoothness
and depth, especially for the leads. It also sounded great in the effects loop in my amp.
Buy if youd like to control the decay of

your reverb
Skip if you prefer more detailed control of
reverb with more parameters
Rating...
5.0
Street $249
Fuchs Audio Technology
fuchsaudiotechnology.com
WhirLWind oranGe Box Phaser
Whirlwind has long produced great musical

products, and the companys three newest
Rating...
4.0
Street $129
Whirlwind
whirlwindusa.com
Maxon vJr9 vinTaGe JeT riser FLanGer
The new Orange Box Phaser is one of the new

ones, and is fitted with a 9V power jack and an
LED On/Off indicator, and bears a resemblance
to the original MXR pedal in size, metal box
construction and knobs. The single knob on the
Whirlwind unit shows the same waveform
design as on the old phase 100 model, and
lets loose a deep, wide sweep that is almost
reminiscent of a Uni-Vibe. I got some very
cool Robin Trower-type tones with a Strat, and
compared to similar phasers of this type, it was
clean and had a relatively low noise floor. Also,
having more depth makes it great when using
it before a distortion pedal, allowing it to cut
through with more authority. It was, of course,
great for the famous Eddie Van Halen tone
associated with the original MXR phaser.
Overall, Good Verbrations has a nice sounding reverb with simple, yet very useful controls. If you liked the reverb in Fuchs Plus
Verbrator, youll like having a dedicated pedal
of that same reverb. GG
Buy if youre looking for a great phaser with

lots of presence that wont get buried in your
distortion.
Skip if youre looking for a totally vintage
unit and your mind is made up.
The comparison to the original also showed that

the range of the speed controls was a bit different. The original went both slower and faster,
where the Whirlwind opened the envelope a bit
more by achieving a higher frequency at the top
of the sweep. I think Whirlwind set out to capture the original vibe of the old pedal, but with
a few upgrades. This one does just that.
The new Whirlwind Orange Box Phaser certainly
provides a new alternative to the phase units
presently on the market, and is both solidly built
and offers a lower noise floor. I got the feeling
that I was playing through a pro piece of gear
rather than something that would break or fail. Its
not exactly dead-on to the original version, but
it does have some upgrades I think are valid in
todays market. Weve learned a lot since the 70s
amps, guitars and pickups have changed and
so have the requirements for good pedals. KR
One of my all-time favorite pedals is an old,

beat up Ibanez FL-9 Flanger. I still use it, and
its definitely seen the rigors of the road. Ive
kept it for so long because it has a much
understated effect on guitar tone. It never gets
overbearing or cheesy-sounding, and it provides a nice, subtle flange that gives the tone
extra depth and dimension, making it perfect
for clean rhythm work. Maxon, the company
that Ibanez originally commissioned to design
the effect, has recently released a hoppedup successor to its famous yellow ancestor,
dubbed the Vintage Jet Riser Flanger.
With a 2009 G&L ASAT Classic plugged into

a Fender Deluxe Reverb reissue, my favorite
flange tone was preserved in the Jet Riser,
and with clearer presence than before. With
the FL-9 set to moderate settings, it almost
seemed at times that the flange wasnt even
on just something in the mix that was
causing the guitar to exhibit slight traits of
modulation. The Jet Riser can demonstrate
the same effect, but theres a more apparent flange affecting the tone. You can hear
it moving its way through the frequency
spectrum in the background. The Jet knob,
which controls the intensity of the effect,
works hand in hand with the Width control,
and was capable of reproducing some great
127

classic flanging effects from the grunge era,
la the Smashing Pumpkins classic, Love.
For the players who like to push their effects
into newer, stranger sonic territories, the Jet
Riser features a Sensitivity control. I recorded
myself playing chunky fifths into my Boss
RC-2 and ran the loop into the Jet Riser, playing with the Sensitivity control as the playback commenced. As the knob goes up, the
effect starts to exhibit a strange wash out
effect, as if the flanger circuit is distorting. Its
a really neat sound, but one that should be
used in moderation, as the highest settings
can result in a garbled mess of white noise.
From subtle to downright strange, the Maxon
Vintage Jet Riser should satisfy any players
flange cravings. JW
liking, and the two internal trim pots for

Presence and Bass are also user adjustable.
The concept of the Half Gainer is something
that works well in the studio, but it excels
in a live setting. This one pedal hooked up
through one amp delivers three completely
different, and quickly accessible, sounds. I
started with a clean sound on my amp with
the pedal turned off. When I switched on the
Half Gainer, the first channel is then set up
for a milder overdrive soundsomewhere
in the middle between clean and distortion,
which basically acts like more like a slight
boost. I then set up the second channel for a
heavier gain that would be good for heavier
rock rhythms or leads, especially when the
Half Gainer is turned on.
Buy if your quest is for one of the most

versatile, compact flangers out there.
Skip if youre in need of a simpler flange effect.
Tone-wise, I felt that initially I didnt have

enough low end using the pedals factory settings. I took advantage of the adjustable bass
trim pot, opened up the pedal and was able
to easily adjust the bass up. The only other
feature I would have liked to see for tone
shaping wouldve been separate Middle and
Tone controls for each channel. Overall, its
nice to be able to go from clean to slightly
soiled to dirty in a few clicks. Barbers Half
Gainer is ideal for those guitarists who like
to quickly switch between different sounds
without having a lot of pedals on stage or in
the studio. GG
Rating...
4.5
Street $412
Maxon
maxonfx.com
OVERDRIVE
BarBer eLecTronics haLF Gainer
Buy if youd like a progression of sounds

that you can easily control with one pedal.
Skip if you need more tonal variety when
switching to each channel.
Rating...
4.0
Street $169
Barber Electronics
barberelectronics.com
T-rex dGTM
The Half Gainer pedal is a dual version of
Barbers LTD low-gain overdrive. The first
thing you notice is the cool Art Deco-style
design, which makes it a very classy and
attractive looking pedal. But thats not all.
This thing is built like a tank! Theres no
lightweight cheap plastic here, its a heavy,
durable pedal that is definitely roadworthy.
The Half Gainer features two channels, with
independent adjustments of volume and gain
for each channel. The Mid Character control
allows you to boost or cut the mids to your
You gotta love a pedal that has knob controls

named Gristle and Gravy! In the case of
the T-Rex DGTM, its quite appropriate for an
overdrive pedal that has such meaty tones.
Denmark-based T-Rex Engineerings new
DGTM (Diabolical Gristle Tone Manipulator)
offers a distinctive overdrive that will please
many guitarists looking to beef up their
tones. It was inspired by the Gristle Man
guitarist Greg Koch, and goes between standard overdrive tone and a more compressed
gain with the flick of a switch. The pedal has
three tone-shaping parameters: Gristle controls the amount of distortion, Gravy controls
the volume, and the Tone control can take

your guitar from smooth to edgy.
I always like to test a pedal full on at first,

especially to hear the extreme between a
totally clean sound and the most overdriven
tone possible. With my DiMarzio humbuckerequipped Charvel So-Cal, I got a nice thick
overdriven tone with the Gristle knob all the
way up, and it was nice to switch between
standard and compressed modes for a variety
of overdrives. I was able to get a nice vintage
rock tone by dialing the Gristle about halfway
in standard mode with both humbuckers on.
With single-coil pickups, my favorite tone was
cranking the Gristle knob up all the way with
the Tone right at 12 oclock. While using the
neck pickup I was able to coax a bluesy lead
tone out of it. The pedal is definitely more
on the bright side. Turning the Tone knob
more than halfway resulted in overdrive that
was harsher and more sizzly than I prefer
whether I used single coils or humbuckers, or
in the neck or bridge positions.
However, the DGTM works well for both
blues and classic rock guitarists. Whether
you want a vintage crunch or a more modern overdrive, the Diabolical Gristle Tone
Manipulator can give your guitar tone a cool
overdrive boost. GG
Buy if you like a little variety in your
overdrive.
Skip if youre a metal guitarist searching
for high gain distortion
Rating...
4.0
Street $199
T-Rex Engineering
t-rex-engineering.com
Kasha Ka-odP-a 4-channeL overdrive
Kasha Amplification was born almost 22 years

ago in a small music store in Californias San
Fernando Valley, ABK Rocks. It was also one

of the most talked-about places amongst
gearheads to have their amplifiers modified.
Legendary guitarists such as Chris Impellitteri
and Jake E. Lee would bring in their Marshall
heads to have John Kasha go through them
and make modifications. The result of all this
modding was the highly praised Rockmod
Preamp, one of the very first all-tube preamps, which was originally released as an easier alternative to having an amplifier altered.
Buy if you want to preserve your amps natural tone, but still need more boost versatility.
Skip if you really, really need a tone control.
Rating...
4.0
MSRP $200
Kasha Amplifiers
kashaamplifiers.com
Rockbox boiling Point
As a more convenient and affordable option,

Kasha has recently released the KA-ODP-A
Overdrive, a four-channel overdrive pedal
that was designed to house some of Kashas
best guitar tones to date. While the pedal
can be used as a stand-alone device into
a clean amplifier, it was really designed for
those players who dont want to drastically
alter their tone, and just want to drive the
amps internal gain even further. This is why
the pedal lacks a tone knob. Each of its four
modesSmooth, Classic, Hot and Meltare
individually voiced with distinct amounts of
lows, mids, highs and gain, which have been
carefully chosen to preserve the amps inherent tone. When I ran the pedal into a Fender
Deluxe Reverb reissue with a 2008 Fender
American Stratocaster, I could tell what
Kasha was going for almost immediately. All
of the guitars natural attack was very present throughout each mode, with an instantly
noticeable addition of sparkle in the highs. I
drove the amp slightly by pushing the volume
higher, and then engaged the pedal in the
Hot setting. The result was impressive, with
just the right amount of every frequency,
none of which was too harsh. Flipping the
tone switch on the top (labeled Normal/
Turbo) to Turbo piled on even more gain,
yet the amplifiers tone remained clear and
strong, with every note audible in any chord.
To call the KA-ODP-A a boost is an understatement; it not only boosted the amp, it
enhanced it. For the player with the perfect
amplifier setup whos looking to squeeze a
little more juice out of it, this is an excellent
place to start. JW
To put it mildly, there are a ton of good

overdrive pedals out there. To put it simply,
the Rockbox Boiling Point is one of the best
Ive come across. Its not just the notable elements in its construction, which would take
the rest of this review to enumerate, but the
fact that it is at once both extraordinarily
versatile and intuitively easy to use. There
are so many great touches here, its hard to
mention them all, but at the top of my list
are: the detented Gain control, the 3-way
mode toggle, and the amount of gain on tap,
which is well, preposterous really. I also
like the high-visibility blue LED indicator, and
the unique marbled paintjob is pretty cool,
too. The 3-way mode toggle changes the
response and tone of the pedal considerably:
pushing the switch up (Plexi) produces a
convincing Marshall-like feel; down delivers
asymetrical clipping, which is edgier, like an
amp on the verge of exploding; middle is a
clean boost mode. Theres also a very useful
Bass Contour switch that fattens up singlecoil pickups nicely and seems to tame bright
humbuckers as well. Theres more, but I need
to tell you how it sounds.
My first test was with an Orange Tiny Terror

combo set clean. With the Boiling Point
on the Plexi setting with the Bass Contour
engaged, I set the Gain and Tone at about
noon and plugged in a Gibson LP Studio with
Burstbuckers. Using just the neck pickup with
the Volume almost all the way up and the
tone rolled off, I got just about the sweetest, juiciest woman tone you could imagine:
sustaining and heavy with overtones, and
so creamy and articulate without a trace of
bite. That sold me right off the bat, but as I
continued to experiment with other combinationsmy Nash S63 with Lollar pickups,
a Fender Road Worn Tele, a Tweed Deluxe
replica and an Xits 15W Sadie comboI discovered a veritable library of overdrive flavors
that took me through several decades of my
mental tone catalog. Scooped metal is about
the only thing you wont close in on here.
And the pedal is oh-so-sensitive: if you park
it in the sweet spot, you can go from clean to
raunchy and back just by changing the heaviness of your attack. With so many overdrives
to pay attention to these days, its nice to
meet one thatll make you wonder how many
more you need.
Buy if you want huge overdrive versatility
in a small box.
Skip if if your band nickname is One
Tone or Bloody Deathbringer.
Rating...
5.0
Street $389
Rockbox Electronics
rockbox.com
gRanville coPPeR DRive
It is a truism that although supporting roles

dont get a lot of glory, without them the
stars in leading roles wouldnt be able to
shine as brightly. Granvilles Scott Davis takes
the same approach with his Copper Drive
pedalits meant to be transparent and supportive, so you can use it like seasoning to
enhance your sound without sacrificing the
tone of your A-list gear. For experienced
players whove already put time and money
into achieving their sought-after tone, this
is a good thing to have. Add in the fact that
Granville pedals are hand-built using topnotch materials and hand-selected components by a guy with this much experience,
and its a great thing.
Once youve set the Level control for unity
gain, the Tone control, which seems to work
much like a high-frequency roll off, will help
you get the right amount of bite or smoothness for your particular guitar and pickups,
but the Tone and Drive controls are also very
interactive. The Copper Drive is so transparent that it makes an ideal clean boost for
more volume on leads and solos. Once you hear
129
what it does with a healthy application of Drive,

though, youll probably forget about that. I tested it out with an Orange Tiny Terror combo and
an Xits 15W Sadie, both set very clean. Whether
it was a Gibson LP Studio with Burstbuckers,
a Fender Road Worn Tele, a Nash S63 with
Lollars, or a Duesenberg MC Signatures
humbucker/P-90 combination, the Copper Drive
dirtied up the tone beautifully without coloring
or covering over the individual character of the
guitars and amps. The single-coil guitars retained
all their leanness and sparkle but got raw and
vigorous; humbuckers stayed fat without muddying up. The increased harmonic richness was
superb. Its highly sensitive to playing dynamics
and it cleans up so well with just the guitars
volume knob, its like its not even there. Its so
good with low to moderate gain, you might
want to just leave it on, but theres plenty of fire
here, tooturn the Drive all the way up and
youll get enough crunch and sizzle for pretty
much any style except modern metal. If you
asked me what could be done to improve it, this
is all Id have to say: Dual Copper Drive.
Buy if you want a high-quality overdrive
that wont color your tone.
Skip if you want a distortion pedal with its
own tonal character.
Rating...
4.5
Street $179
Granville Guitars
granvilleguitars.com
Street $179
Granville Guitars
granvilleguitars.com
COMPRESSOR
PigtRonix PhilosoPheRs tone
The Philosophers Tone (PT) packs studioquality clean compression, sustain and more
into a compact 4.4"x2.4"x1" pedal. Rather

than running off a typical 9V battery, Pigtronix
went the extra mile and powers the PT with
the included 15VCD power supply for maximum headroom. Controls include Grit, Sustain,
Blend, Treble and Volume, and are surprisingly
easy to adjust considering how tightly they are
packed into the case. Like most compressor
pedals, the Sustain sets the threshold for the
compressor, and the more you turn it up the
more intense the compression effect becomes.
The Volume obviously controls the output
level, which can be used as a boost if desired.
Its the other three controls that bring the PT
into bonus territory. Rather than settling for
the compressed signal only, the Blend control
lets you choose how much of the effect is
introduced. This is great if you dont want the
immediate hit of the compressor sound, but
would like to benefit from its sustain properties. The Treble knob is an active control that
cuts or boosts highs, so the noon position is
neutral. I found the range to be a big bonus
for switching between humbucker and singlecoil guitars. Finally, a nice added touch is the
Grit control, which adds smooth diode clipping distortion to the signal.
I was blown away with how much clean sustain

was on tap. Cranking the Sustain knob provided a near-infinite level of clean sustainit
was staggering. The PT is also incredibly quiet
and articulate. You can easily go from long,
sustained notes to Chickin Pickin tone with
a twist of the sustain knob. Real fun, however,
came in the Grit control which by adding in
some distortion made the PT sound like two
amps playing at once. Because distortion
tone is so personal, it may or may not be the
kind you like, but it does play nice with other
overdrive pedals. Definitely a must-hear for
compression lovers. SO
Street $169
Pigtronix
pigtronix.com
stRymon ob.1
In my first years of guitar playing, I didnt

know what a guitar compressor was. It was
only after I plugged one in and heard what it
could do to my sound that I truly appreciated
it. A compressor smoothes out the dynamics
of your guitar, limits the amount of variation
between soft and loud playing, and can also
provide additional sustain. The Strymon OB.1
can do all that, and even adds a little boost.
This Optical Compressor and Clean Boost
pedal features true bypass and a low-noise,
all-analog signal path. Strymon has taken the
greatest qualities of high-end, vintage optostudio compressors and made them available
in this small package.
This compressor sounded great (and is most
noticeable) using a clean sound, especially
with fingerstyle playing. It definitely softened
the strong attacks and amplified the weak
attacks for a more consistent sound overall.
You dont always need compression with
distortion since youre getting it anyway
through the distortion itself. However, some
metal players use compression to get a more
even volume, such as getting tapped notes
sounding equal to picked notes. With a dirty
sound, the OB.1 definitely gave my signal a
boost and added more sustain to my lead
playing. The Boost function is a nice feature
of the OB.1. It has a separate footswitch,
control knob and mini-toggle switch to
choose between flat, mid and treble frequencies. Unfortunately, the boost can only by
activated when the compressor is on, but if
you only want boost you can simply switch
the pedal on and turn the Compressor knob
all the way down.
Buy if you want studio quality compression

in a pint-sized pedal.
Skip if you like it raw.
Rating...
.5
The Strymon OB.1 can definitely enhance

your guitar tone. You can also save some
room on your pedalboard since the OB.1 is a
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compressor, clean boost and treble boost all
in one package. GG
Buy if you play fair and want to treat all
your guitar notes equally.
Skip if you dont fully understand compression or dont need it for your style.
Rating...
4.5
Street $199
Strymon
strymon.net
WhiRlWinD ReD box comPRessoR
the maximum Sustain setting. It seemed a little harder to dial it in exactly where I needed
to be, but the newer Whirlwind unit seemed
to produce higher fidelity. KR
Buy if youre looking for a great, versatile
compressor for all types of music.
Skip if compression is not an integral part
of your sound.
Rating...
4.0
Street $149
Whirlwind
whirlwindusa.com
DELAY
maxon aD999 PRo analog Delay
The new Whirlwind Red Box Compressor

is housed in a small, sturdy metal box, just
like the original MXR Dyna Comp pedal of
many years ago. There are two control knobs:
one is the Output knob and the other is the
Sensitivity control. The jacks are on the sides
of the unit, as are on the original, and two
welcome additions to the new model are a
9V battery jack and an LED On/Off status
indicator. The control knobs even look the
same as they did on the vintage unit.
The first thing I noticed upon firing it up was
the full rich sound, and its quiet operation.
Additionally, the range of compression went
from barely noticeable to a fat, sustaining,
completely even tone. Through a clean amp,
with the Sustain knob set at about two oclock
I was able to get classic country compression
tone. Using it with a little bit of distortion
and turning the Sensitivity control down a bit,
the notes seemed to sustain extremely well,
and using a guitar with humbucking pickups
produced some pretty cool B.B. King tones.
When using this pedal, you have to be sure
the output level is set for unity gain so the
front end of your amp is driven properly.
Otherwise, you may experience an over-compressed sound. I found that, by comparison,
the original MXR Dyna Comps were brighter
and also produced a bit more compression in
Maxon has a long history of producing some

of the most celebrated effect pedals ever. In
the 1970s, they were commissioned by Ibanez
to design and build an effects line that eventually resulted in the Fuzz/Wah, the famed
TS-808 Tube Screamer, TS-9 Tube Screamer
and the AD-9 Analog Delay, amongst others.
Several years ago, Maxon shifted gears and
decided to market their own line of Maxonbranded effects, utilizing rare NOS (new old
stock) components and newer technologies,
such as true bypass circuitry. The AD999 Pro
Analog Delay, one of the newest entries in
their Vintage Series, picks up concepts from
their renowned AD-9 and AD999 analog
delays and pushes them even further, utilizing
a new noise reduction circuit and a MultiHead mode, which simulates older tape
delays that used multiple tape heads to create huge, atmospheric sounds.
With a Grosh ElectraJet Standard into a

Mesa/Boogie Electra-Dyne half stack, I was
easily able to coax out some excellent slapback tones that were some of the warmest
and most dynamic Ive heard in years. The
sound definitely took me back to when I had

an original Ibanez AD80 (another Maxon
design), using it with very small repeat and
delay settings to help thicken my rhythm
sound. Gradually, I added in each of the three
Multi-Head mode switches to create a swashing backdrop of cavernous delay, perfect for
wide, ethereal soundscapes. Maxon explains
that each switch adds midstream delay signals
(which are taken from the middle of the delay
circuit), which give the AD999 Pro the ability
to emulate fabled tape delays of yore, such
as the Roland RE-201 Space Echo. Lovers
of digital delay will probably want to look
elsewhere, as the AD999 Pros high end frequencies are rolled off and the overall delay
tone has a very fuzzy, unclear flavor to it. For
devotees of vintage analog sounds however,
the AD999 Pro is a perfect choice. JW
Buy if youre fed up with searching high
and low for rare, multi-head tape delay units.
Skip if pristine delay tones are a must.
Rating...
5.0
Street $399
Maxon
maxonfx.com
electRo-haRmonix memoRy boy
The release of the famed Electro-Harmonix

Memory Man in the 1970s was a watershed
moment in guitar gear history. Previously,
players options for emulating echo were
very limited. Devices such as the Maestro
Echoplex utilized magnetic tape to produce
the effect, but were prone to problems
with jamming, tape breaking and degradation. The Memory Mans solid-state, analog
circuitry provided warm delay in a smaller,
lighter package, while at the same time eliminating the need for moving parts that would
eventually need replacing. Electro-Harmonix
has continued to release various delay, echo
and looper pedals throughout the years, and
while most have been very good, none has
reached the legendary status of the original
Memory Man model.
The release of the new Memory Boy, EHs
new analog delay with modulation, aims to
set the bar higher than that of its original
Memory Man, with the same organic delay
tones and a modulation switch (the effects
can be processed in either in triangle or
square wave forms) in an even smaller enclosure. With a 1978 Gibson Les Paul Custom
plugged into a Mesa/Boogie Electra-Dyne

half stack, I was able to dial in classic, dynamic Memory Man tones with ease. While this
was very pleasing, I found with a little more
tweaking that what the Memory Boy really
succeeds at is creating strange, echo-laden
textures. Both the chorus and vibrato sections
are capable of producing some <I>extremely
wild<I> sounds. Coupled with a large backdrop of delay, the chorus section set to
square wave yielded one of the creepiest
sounding tones that Ive ever coaxed out of
a guitarperfect for space-age tonal backdrops and atmospheric compositions. With all
of its features, along with true-bypass circuitry
and a much sturdier enclosure than the original, the Memory Boy is a no-brainer purchase
for the player looking for analog tone with
personality on a budget. JW
can also be changed with the Modes Specific

3-way toggle switch to open up even more
possibilities. Three footswitches are providedTap, Preset and Bypassand there is also
a push button for saving to all eight presets
provided. Each preset can also be searched
without changing the current setting. It is
worth mentioning, however, that a preset is
not automatically loaded when powering up
the pedal, rather it operates with the current
settings on the controls.
The Loop feature of the pedal provides 6.8

seconds of recording in 24-bit mode, while
the 16-bit mode provides 13.6 seconds of
recording time. There is a slightly noticeable
drop in quality, but not much. And loops cannot be saved to the presets when you turn
it off, the loop is gone. But overdubbing and
reverse looping is available with the looper.
Buy if you want classic analog tones with a
versatile effects section on a budget.
Skip if you need delay times longer
than 550ms.
Rating...
4.5
Street $98
Electro-Harmonix
ehx.com
emPRess suPeR Delay
The Empress Super Delay is a 24-bit digital

delay/looper designed to deliver excellent
clarity without sacrificing tone. Housed in a
die-cast aluminum chassis, the boutique style
pedal is compact for such a feature-laden
devise. The Super Delay provides the user
with Mix, D-Time/Ratio, Feedback, 8-Mode
Rotary Switcher, and four 3-way toggle switches that include Mix/Feedback, High Pass and
Low Pass filters Slow, Fast Modulation, and
Mode Specific. There are eight modes including Normal, Tap, Auto, Rev, Rhythm, Tape,
Misc and a Looper. Each one of these modes
does its share by making boutique-style, true

bypass pedals that are affordable for just about
all players. The pedals come in an MXR-style,
corrosion-free metal chassis, with unique paint
jobs to boot. The MT-AD Vintage Analog Delay
provides features that are simple to use and can
be tweaked on the fly. In a nutshell, the Time
knob adjusts length of the wave, Mix adjusts
the saturation of effect to the signal, and the
Length adjusts the amount the signal repeats.
Unlike the feedback feature that comes with
other delay units, the Repeat knob will repeat
forever when turned all the way clockwise,
which in most cases causes the volume to rise
and create an uncontrollable feedback loop.
The Vintage Analog Delay reminds me most
of a tape delay, especially with its dark vintage
delays and echoes. This, however, left it a little
lackluster when using it in a clean setup. But to
be fair, my Sound City is from the 1970s and is
not as bright as modern amps.
Starting with the Time knob turned all the way to
the left, the Repeat at 10 oclock, and the Mix at
2 oclock, the pedal offered up a solid slapback
delay. My favorite setting was Time at 11 oclock,
Mix at 1 oclock, and the Repeat at 2 oclock,
which created the perfect short tape delay.
Coupled with a Keeley-modded DS-1, I achieved
some soaring echo leads and melodies, and it
handled distortion in front of it superbly.
Nonetheless, the Super Delay is a highly versatile unit with loads of features that will have
you reading the manual to learn all of its possibilities. That doesnt mean it doesnt sound
good right out of the box, especially if the
user has previous experience with other delay
modelers. That said, the Super Delay gives
the Eventide Timefactor and Line 6 DL-4 a
run for their money. And analog purists need
not be afraid, because this pedal is transparent and will not color your tone. BB
Buy if you want an all-in-one, extremely
versatile delay.
Skip if something simpler is in order.
Rating...
5.0
Street $449
Empress Effects
empresseffects.com
moDtone mt-aD vintage analog Delay
Good tone should be available to anyone,

including those with a small budget. ModTone
The ModTone Vintage Analog Delay is a well-built

little box that offers a few key delay and echo
effects that replicate vintage sounds quite well. If
youre looking for the tones of old but dont want
to break the bank, look no further. BB
Buy if you want a simple-to-use analog delay.
Skip if you want more versatility from your
delay pedal.
Rating...
4.0
Street $99
ModTone Effects
modtone-effects.com
133
ENVELOPE FILTER
moDtone Funk FilteR enveloPeR
Another offering from ModTone is the Funk Filter

Enveloper, which features a 3-way switch with
High Pass, Mid Pass, Low Pass, F-Factor and
Drive to control the filters. First, I plugged in my
Fender/Warmoth Barit-Tele, but I was a bit lost
because I couldnt replicate the same sounds
twice. The pedals F-Factor and Drive controls are
very interactive, and each control will react differently depending on the position of the other. The
combination of the pickups on my guitar made a
huge difference as well. I mainly used my bridge
pickup, a Rio Grande Dirty Harry at about 7, and
the stock Fender Jumbo Humbucker (Neck) at
about 3 while testing this pedal. Starting backwards, I first tried the Low Pass setting with the
F-Factor control at 3 oclock and the Drive at 11
oclock. This created a punchy auto-wah great for
playing various funk leads and rhythms. In Mid
Pass with the F-Factor control at 11 oclock and
the drive turned to 2 oclock, I achieved excellent
vocal-sounding leads. Setting the switch to High
Pass, Drive at 9 oclock and the F-Factor at 2
oclock, I achieved a funky pop sound after each
note, with an almost sitar like auto-wah slapback
after each note.
The Funk Filter is a very interactive pedal that
will make you work at first to find the right
sounds, but youll probably love every minute
of it. The Funk Filter is not too noisy when activated, and does not color your tone when in
true bypass mode. As a side note, it also works
well with synth and drum machines. BB
Buy if you want a good sounding envelope
filter or auto wah at a wallet-friendly price.
Skip if funky fresh filtering is not your thing.
Rating...
4.0
Street $129
ModTone Effects
modtone-effects.com
electRo haRmonix RiDDle: Q balls
The Riddle: Q Balls is an envelope-controlled filter that works almost like a wah, but rather than
using a foot pedal you control the intensity of
the filter sweep with your playing dynamics. The
Riddle is ultra versatile as far as envelope filter
pedals are concerned, and offers a wide range
of controls for shaping the tone: Blend, Mode,
Attack, Decay, Start, Stop, Q, and Sensitivity.
Blend lets you choose how much of the effect
is mixed into the final signal. Mode sets up the
filter as a low-pass, band-pass or high-pass filter.
Attack and Decay control the speed in which
the effect begins and ends. The Start and Stop
controls set the frequency points from wide to
tight sweeps.
The Riddle also includes a distortion circuit,
mainly to make the effect more pronounced. EH
included a trim pot inside the pedal to control
the distortion level, in case youd like a boost
or drop in volume when engaging the distortion. The Riddle also has a separate jack for an
expression pedal to sweep the filter manually
much like a wah.
Due to the unique sonic nature of the Riddle,

a little goes a long way. I liked the Riddle very
much and found it to be exceptional in its ability
to achieve just about any filter effect I threw at it.
From wah-like sweeps to ultra-wide funky vocal
sounds that far exceeded a typical wah voicing,
its an addictive effect. Tracking is excellent and
it only takes minutes to get used to controlling
the sweep with your playing dynamics. Because
there is no way to save settings, and the controls
are very sensitive, you have to be careful because
bumping one knob can quickly change the
sound, which is both a blessing and a curse. And
you gotta love those EH naming schemes! SO
Street $189
Electro-Harmonix
ehx.com
DISTORTION
baRbeR electRonics DiRty bomb
Barbers Dirty Bomb pedal is about as subtle

as a jackhammer through Kleenex. Its definitely not for the faint of heart. Sure, you
could use it as a light overdrive pedal if you
want to, but when you have a lot of power,
you might as well use it.
The Dirty Bomb from Barber Electronics is a
versatile distortion pedal with a wide range
of tones. It features a two-band EQ, Gain
control and a toggle switch that selects midrange character for three different modes:
The Left position is neutral, Center is mid
bumped and Right is a middle scooped
sound. It also features an internal Bass Boost
trim pot that is fully adjustable. The manual
for the Dirty Bomb has some useful setting
suggestions and is a good starting point for
achieving a wide range of sounds, from 70s
rock to a very heavy metal sound, which is
where I think this pedal really shines. The
distortion is tight and defined and stays that
way even when pushed to the limit. The three
positions of the EQ midrange switch are all
very useable and its nice to have a variety of
distortion to choose from.
The tonal range of the Treble knob in particular is very good. It can go from a slightly
bright sound to full on sizzle. However when
cranked up all the way, it thins out the tone
a little too much. The sweet spot of the
Bass control seems to be between 8 and 10.
Anything below 8 didnt seem beefy enough.
After dialing in the parameters to your liking, the Dirty Bomb performs very well. Even
though it offers a wide range of distortion for
many styles of music, it works best as a hard
rock/heavy metal device. So crank this one up
and start rockin! GG
Buy if you want the funk.

Skip if esoteric aint your bag.
Rating...
4.0

Buy if you want to unleash the fury with
high gain distortion.
Skip if a massive amount of distortion
scares you.
Rating...
4.5
Street $99
Barber Electronics
barberelectronics.com
ReD Witch Famulus
Red Witch understands that you cant really

reinvent the wheel when it comes to distortion. Instead, theyve conjured up a unique
way to take two different distortion tones and
blend them together into one pedal. The Red
Witch Famulus distortion/overdrive pedal features two distinct circuits that run parallel, and
each circuit is uniquely voiced. The two gain
channels can be used independently, or can
be blended together for an infinite number of
options and distorted tones. Gain A offers a
more biting distortion while Gain B has a fat
midrange punch. Although they both share
the same Volume and Tone control, each
gain can be controlled separately. The key
to blending the tones together is using the
Alchemy control. This knob enables you to
choose between Gain A and B if you turn it to
the extreme left or right. Turning the Alchemy
knob anywhere in between allows you to
seamlessly blend the two tones together.
expand the concept even further. Having two

types of gain to two different amps controlled
by one knob would be an excellent distortion combination. But Im happy with the Red
Witch Famulus concept as it is. It uniquely
blends two different kinds of distortion for
endless combinations of tone. GG
Buy if you dont mind blending different
types of distortion together.
Skip if youd rather have a simple distortion pedal that you can set and forget.
Rating...
Street $299
Red Witch
redwitchanalogpedals.com
Plugging in my Gibson SG-X, I first tried

the Fullbore Metal with the volume at 3,
Frequency at 2, Gain at 3, Bass at 4, Mid at
2, High at 3 oclock, with Noise Gate on and
Scoop off. I was treated to the guitar tone
reminiscent of Metallicas And Justice for
All. Turning up the Bass knob made the bass
much punchier without the lows falling apart
and sounding broken up. The mids and highs
provided clear harmonic leads, especially for
pinch harmonics which became effortless.
At high volumes the Fullbore did not lose
its sound, which would make it great for live
use. I have also seen plenty of bands in my
day who would do well using a noise gate for
their setup, something that is left out of many
a metal guitarists setup ... surprisingly. BB
Buy if youre looking for a metal distortion
or a good noise gate.
Skip if blistering metal is not your thing.
Rating...
4.5
Street $99
Dunlop/MXR
jimdunlop.com
PeDalWoRx 5 oclock chaRlie DistoRtion

mxR: FullboRe metal
Id be content just with using Gain A of the

Famulus pedal. It had plenty of thick, creamy
distortion to rock out with. Having Gain B as
a whole other distortion option was an added
bonus. It was great to be able to blend both
gains together. My favorite tone was having
Gain A full up with Gain B in a cleaner sound,
and then blending the two. I was then able to
play more complex chords and have the notes
defined more clearly, instead of being lost in
distorted mush. It would be great to see a
version of this pedal with stereo outputs to
4.5
pedal desirable for metalcore players and

fans of the Dimebag Darrell sound.
Being an owner of the famed Distortion+ and

a metalhead at heart, I was pretty excited to
give the Fullbore Metal pedal a try. For starters, the Fullbore comes with a lot more bells
and whistles than your standard MXR pedals
of this size. In all, six small knobs and two
small switches adorn the front of the unfinished metal chassis. Features include Volume,
Frequency, Gain, Low, Mid High, Gate and
Scoop. Frequency controls the midrange
frequency from 200hz to 5khz, which is then
adjusted further by the Mid control. Bass
controls the tight low end of this pedal, while
the High knob controls the sizzling harmonic
tones. The Noise Gate switch is a welcome
addition to the Fullbore and is a necessity at
high volume and gain settings. Other distortion pedal makers would do well to take note
of this. The Noise Gate responded well, and
notes were not cut off short, which allowed
for plenty of sustain. The Scoop switch boosts
the Lows and Highs, which should make this
Pedalworxs newest distortion pedal, the 5

Oclock Charlie, takes its name from one of
the most famous episodes of M*A*S*H. 5
Oclock Charlie is actually a North Korean
bomber pilot with a very punctual personality, who at precisely 5 oclock each day tries
to hit the camps ammunition depot with a
bomb he throws by hand. (Un)fortunately, his
targeting skills arent as sharp as his sense of
time, and he misses the depot every time.
Pedalworx is attempting to hit the target
the first time with a finely-tuned Rat circuit
that utilizes an original Motorola LM308
chip, a prized component (they offer a very
amp-like response and tone) in some of the
most sought-after Rat pedals. Wielding a
2006 Gibson Flying V into a 1973 Marshall
Super Bass, I was surprised to hear more
Big Muff-like qualities from the 5 Oclock
Charlie. The raunchy distortion was very
present and powerful, but loose in the lows,
which isnt something that Ive come across
with too many Rat circuits. Even with the
Bass control on the amp turned down to 9
oclock, the Charlie had an immense amount
of low-end response. Switching to a Fender
Deluxe Reverb helped tame the lows, but the

sheer force of the gain, even at moderate
settings, was almost too much for the little
combo to handle. Considering the difficulty
that I had trying to get a tight distortion
sound out of the 5 Oclock Charlie, I was
still very impressed with it. Why? Because
its one of the best sounding Muff-like fuzzes
that Ive come across in a long time. The
Charlie screams stoner metal and is perfect
for sludgy riffing, la Weedeater, Boris and
Eyehategod. If fat, gravy-soaked Southern
Metal tones are your thing, look no further
than the 5 Oclock Charlie.
Buy if youre completely in love with bottom-heavy, powerful fuzz.

Skip if you need tight distortion.
Rating...
4.0
to engage the More Heavy circuit: a booster

circuit that increases the low end and volume
of the pedal. The more you turn the knob
to the right, the more low-end volume you
get. Slope adjusts the high/low frequency,
and Notch cuts the frequency as you turn
the knob to the left, while the Notch Shift
changes the frequency of the Notch Control.
Two things worth mentioning here are that
you need to have the Notch Control turned
almost all the way counterclockwise to hear
the changes in the Notch Shift. You might also
hear some clicks when doing this, but according to the owners manual this is normal.
My favorite setting was the More Heavy at
11, Input at 2, Slope at 2, Notch at 2 and
Notch Shift at 2 oclock. Using both my
Fender/Warmoth Bari-Tele and an Gibson
SG-X, I was able to get some pretty destructive low-end tones, rattling my speaker cable
out of the back of my cab when I was playing at a high volume. Mountainous riffs can
be created with the amazing harmonics this
pedal can create. Its definitely the heaviest
pedal I have ever had the pleasure of plugging in to, and it worked perfectly for bass
as well. The features of the Megalith are very
interactive with each other, and depending
on which way you turn each knob you can get
a variety of different fuzzed-out and meaty
tones. The Megalith is a must have for fuzz
enthusiasts. BB
Street $199
PedalworX
pedalworx.com
FUZZ
mountainking electRonics the megalith

Given its namesake and the fact that this
pedal was built for Scott Kelly (Neurosis) and
Wino (The Hidden Hand) to be used on their
project, Shrinebuilder, my expectations were
pretty high. Not originally intended for the
rest of us, The Megalith is a massive sounding Fuzz/Distortion Pedal that will leave you
shaking in the wake of its destructive path.
Housed in a slick-looking black powdercoated aluminum chassis, the Megalith has
boutique written all over it.
The features are Output, More Heavy, Input,
Slope, Notch and a 3-way rotary switch
called Notch Shift which just has the markings 1,2,3 above the knob. There are two
switches, one labeled Engage, the other is
Buy if you crave a massively heavy fuzz pedal.

Skip if youre afraid your other fuzz pedals
may become useless after playing the Megalith
Rating...
5.0
Street $265
Mountainking Electronics
myspace.com/mountainkingelectronics
PeDalWoRx hellbilly
The Hellbilly is a hybrid NPN Germanium/

Silicon drive/fuzz unit. Looking mighty cool in
its red mini-box with scary, down home white
graphics, it sports a total of three controls:
Tone, Volume and Gain. On the surface, that
doesnt sound like a lot, but digging in deeper
proves the HellBilly has more than a few tricks
up his sleeve. The Hybrid part of the design
is that it literally uses both a NOS germanium
transistor and a silicon diode. By working
the Tone control you can sweep between
Rangemaster and Fuzz Face tones, and explore
all the sonic territories that fall in between to
make some surprisingly cool sounds.
I plugged my favorite Les Paul into the Hellbilly

and went to town. With the Gain and Volume
set around noon and the Tone down around 10
oclock, it immediately spit out the Rangemasterlike sounds that Ive become accustomed to
hearing. Pulling the Tone down to the off position brought out a lot of bottom and gnarly
thick, almost muddy, tones (in a good way!).
Sweeping the Tone the opposite direction, I
could hear a distinct crossing over to bring in the
silicon diode. More gain just makes the Hellbilly
angrier and nasty, although never to the point of
cutting off, and still giving off a barky and rude
vibe that you simply cant ignore. Believe it or
not, it doesnt all have to be balls-out with this
pedal. In fact, with my Strat I easily added a nice
slightly overdriven boost to bring more harmonics out of the clean tone, and with added gain
rolling back the volume knob on the guitar easily
let the clean tones right out.
The Hellbilly is quiet compared to some
Rangemaster pedals Ive used, which is great
considering how much gain and fuzz is on
tap. Overal, a brilliant design, and while
its not for everyone you will definitely get
noticed with this one. SO
137

Buy if you want versatile germanium and
silicon tones in one box.
Skip if you dont want to be rude.
Rating...
.5
Street $199
PedalworX
pedalworx.com
WAH
PeDalWoRx cool machine Wah
The Cool Machine comes in what looks like a

Dunlop Cry Baby casing, but thats where the
similarities end. Its actually a Jack Butler mod
wah that adds a Rotovibe-like automatic function using an actual wah circuit rather than an
op-amp auto filter. Running on a 9V battery
or DC power adapter (not included), the Cool
Machine has two toggles on the top underside of the pedal: one is a Q setting for
deep or vintage voicings, the other engages
the auto-wah function. A knob on the right
side of the pedal controls the speed of the
auto-wah, which can also be viewed by the
speed of the flashing red LED. Nice!
I plugged my Strat into the Cool Machine

and a 70s-era Marshall Super Lead. Right
away, it knocked me out with sweet, vintage
wah tones and super quiet function. The
pedal sweep felt just right, and with a flick
of the mini-toggle it brought a bigger and
bolder deep sound out of the pedal that
dropped the floor about 10 feet. Obviously,
the folks at PedalworX made their Q choices after carefully listening to it through many
amps because both settings work extremely
well on all of the amps I played through.
Another flick of the right mini-toggle moved
the CM into auto-wah territory. I was able to
pull out slow Uni-Vibe and faster Leslie-like
tones with easeand even some early Jimmy

Page-style Dazed and Confused sounds
without a trip to the foot doctor! One thing I
noticed while getting a little overzealous with
the CM was that the footswitch was quite
sensitive. More than once I shut the effect
off by going too far with a foot sweep. Most
pedals have too stubborn of a switch on
them, so Ive probably become a little heavyfooted. Nice to know I can relax a bit. This
one is clearly a winner. SO
Buy if you want a great wah with the
bonus of a true auto-wah.
Skip if youre married to your current favorite.
Rating...
5.0
Street $250
PedalworX
pedalworx.com
maD PRoFessoR snoW White autoWah
Made specifically for those who dont care

to be tied to a wah pedal, the Snow White
AutoWah (SWAW) might be the perfect
alternative. Built in a bud box-sized white
case, it offers a choice of 9V battery or DC
power supply (sold separately) operation and
sports a red LED bypass light and four controls: Sensitivity, Bias, Resonance and Decay.
Sensitivity sets the filter trigger level, which
allows you to match it to your guitars output
and your playing touch. Bias controls the filter
resonance frequency. Resonance controls the
Q or sharpness of the filter, and Decay sets
the speed of the wah effect. Think of the
Decay setting as how fast you would be rock-
ing your foot back and forth on the treadle,

where a fast setting would give a full wah for
each note and a slow setting would act like a
slower sweep over time. An added bonus is
that by setting the Bias to the off position you
can use the Sensitivity control as a sweepable
filter, which is kind of like parking the wah on

a specific area of the sweep. Nice!
I found the pedal to sound fantastic with
any guitar I threw at it, and was easily able
to create badass wah tones with just a little
concentration on my right hand technique.
Because of the level of control you have over
the tone, its like having multiple wahs in a
package half the size of a traditional pedal,
without the need to plant yourself in one
place. It took a little time to dial in the right
tone, but I quickly found it to be intuitive
and more expressive than expected. At first
my guess was that it would approximate the
tones of a pedal with less control, but upon
listening back to my recordings I was hard
pressed to tell the difference. SO
Buy if you love wahs but dont want to be
stuck in front of one onstage.
Skip if youre a traditionalist and prefer
the known control of a pedal.
Rating...
4.5
Street $350
Mad Professor
mpamp.com
Wait theRes moRe!

Click here to read
12 more pedal reviews:
Boss FRV-1 Fender Reverb
Way Huge Angry Troll
Granville Procrastinator
Mad Professor Sweet Honey Overdrive
Seppuku Octave Drone
Whirlwind Gold Box Distortion
Granville Spiney Norman
Guyatone: Mcm5 Micro Chorus
TWA Little Dipper Envelope Filter
Dunlop Kirk Hammett Wah
Aguilar Octamizer
Electro-Harmonix Enigma
Click here for sound clips of

all of these pedals in action!
FEATURE
By Jordan Wagner, Ian McClintock and Chris Burgess
Why go through the hassle of building your

own pedal? There are more than a few reasonably-priced off-the-rack options out there if
youre looking for a modern clone. With building theres so much room for errora stray
drop of solder, a resistor mysteriously disappearing, paint smudgingyet there are enough
DIYers ready to take on the task to necessitate
a budding build-your-own kit industry.
Perhaps its the feeling that youve created part
of your signal chain, or the ability to design
a piece of your gearmaybe its just mans
innate desire to put things together. Were not
talking meticulous part selection and prototyping leading to your own original creation. If
youre in that league, its best you skip past this
section. We know theres a crowd thats too
advanced for kits, but theres an even bigger
crowd begging for a piece of the action.
Inspired by the beginner-to-intermediate level
go-getters, weve taken on three kits from
three manufacturers at three very different difficulty levels. From a paint-by-numbers, simplecircuit PCB project to a tool-your-own-board
and case (with room for your own tweaks), we
hope to guide the curious to the appropriate kits. In the following pages, youll find the
tools you need, the time it takes, and how
complex the project isalong with our (only
slightly biased) impressions of the final sound.
Tone Clone Pedals Retro Screamer

Based On: Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer
Time To Build: 1.52.5 hours
Tools: Soldering Iron, Phillips-head
screwdriver, wire cutters
Price: $89.99
Complexity: 2 (out of 5)
The Tone Clone Pedals Retro Screamer kit

is a reproduction of the Tube Screamer. The
kit arrived as an unfinished enclosure, circuit
board, pots, knobs, and components. Tone
Clone was kind enough to include separate
spools of blue and white wire and four sturdy
rubber feet to affix to the device when complete. It did not include instructions, but it did
provide an internet address so I could download and print them myselfno complaints
there, as its a great way to save paper if
youd rather read them off a computer screen.
From my past experience in working with

effects, I was pleased to see that the materials were top notch. The thick, nonmalleable
circuit board had a nice weight and substantial feel, and its a higher quality than many
commercial pedals Ive seen. Even the heavy
brushed aluminum enclosure was impressive. Knowing that youre working with
quality materials is certainly a confidence
booster. If I were to suggest any improvement to the kit, it would be for better labeling of the parts. If youve ever built a pedal
from a kit, you quickly realize that matching
each component to the parts list is essential
to a problem-free build. Some of the diodes
used in the circuit were not clearly labeled.
I received two different types of diodes, but
I couldnt match them up to the component

list because the writing on the parts was
so tiny. A bit of masking tape on the leads
with the values wouldve helped greatly. As
a matter of fact, that wouldve been helpful
on the capacitors as well, as they were also
difficult to read. In addition, the IC socket
was missing, an essential part of the circuit.
No worries, thougha quick trip to Radio
Shack and two dollars later, I had my part
and a nifty green LED to swap out for the
stock blue one.
After a thorough matchup of the components
with the parts list, I eagerly dove into the
build itself. The instructions wisely recommended that I start by installing the resistors, which are the most common type of
component in the circuit. It was really great
that Tone Clone split each step into a separate component-type install, resistors first,
capacitors second, and so on. This helps
eliminate a lot of confusion with placing the
wrong component in the wrong slot, and the
dreaded finding extra parts leftover scenario. Theres even a short segment on how
to align the parts neatly, for those who have
never attempted to solder in such close quarters. Honestly, one of the biggest thrills that I
get when I finish a pedal is seeing the board
complete. If everything is aligned perfectly
and geometrically, solder joints are perfect
and the wiring solid, I get an immense sense
of accomplishment, as if Id just created a
work of art (in my nerdy eyes, a neat circuit is
actually quite beautiful).
The only major issue that I had in populating

the board was actually the biggest issue that
I had with the entire project, and it all came
down to one single component. During the
capacitor install section, each area where one
should go on the board is circled in a picture in
the instructions. One in particular, C12, didnt
exist at all on the parts list, which just went
from C11 to C13, skipping C12 entirely.
143
It might not seem like a big deal, but it could

have been a part that decided whether the
device would work at all. In addition, later
sections of the instructions used stock photographs of populated circuit boards from other
Tone Clone pedals, and freely admitted that
they might not be for the pedal thats being
built. I couldnt help but wonder how much
more effort was needed to just put the actual
photo of what was being worked on in the
instructions. New DIYers, especially, need that
kind of reassurance.
After the circuit was complete, I buttoned

it all together in the enclosure (lovingly
painted by PGs own Rebecca Dirks) and
gave it a test run with a 2008 Fender
American Stratocaster into a Fender Deluxe
Reverb Reissue. Tonally, the results were
very good. The familiar Tube Screamer bite
and bark were both there, but with a little
less gain and midrange. The transparency
was unbelievable, and I didnt expect to
hear that from a simple kit that costs much
less than a lot of boutique TS-type overdrives out there. All in all, Im very pleased
with the Retro Screamer. The sound is
quite nice, certainly as nice as any actual
Screamer-esque pedal that Ive heard, and
it was a very simple project to undertake.
For those wondering if their skills are up
to the task, I would rate the project at a
low-intermediate level. If youve never built
a guitar pedal before, I would start with a
basic booster first, or maybe a Fuzz Face
clone. Those circuits usually only have a few
components and even fewer controls, and
are good introductory assignments for the
novice builder. If youve got some soldering
skills and some effects repair under your
belt, the Retro Screamer should be a piece
of cake, and a fitting reward for the labor
involved. JW
toneclonepedals.com
Rich,
sweet,
indulgent,
distinct,
smooth,
2009 C. F. Martin & Co.
refined
tone.
True tone.
True sound.
True history.
Be true.
martinstrings.com
BYOC Overdrive 2
Based on: Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer

Time to Build: about 8 hours
Tools: Soldering iron w/ pencil tip, solder,
screwdriver, wire clippers (tweezers and/
or needle-nose pliers are helpful).
Price: $94.99; MOSFET conversion kit $7.99
BYOCs Overdrive 1 was a clone of the original TS808 circuit, considered the Holy Grail
of Tube Screamers by enthusiasts. It was also
one of BYOCs best selling kits, so it was only
natural when creating a new iteration of the
kit to try and take it a step farther. The OD2
features two separate circuits integrated into
a single box. The overdrive circuit is pretty
much a Tube Screamer with some favorite
mods added in and made switchable. A completely independent clean boost is available
at the stomp of a switch. There is also a kit
available to convert some or all of the circuit
to MOSFET components, which some claim
gives it a more tube-like and natural sounding drive at the expense of sometimes being
noisier. Three internal trimpots allow you to
tweak the min. and max. distortion and loudness. Its a very flexible pedal.
Having modded some guitars and stompboxes in the past, I felt fairly confident about my
soldering skills, but my grasp of the principles
of electronics is about the same as my grasp
of experimental neurosurgery, which is to say
non-existent, so looking at the schematic at
the end of the manual was useless to me.
Fortunately, the instructions are very much
idiot-friendly, with photographs of the PCB
and colored outlines detailing the locations
of components. Still, for a total newcomer to
the soldering iron, this project might present
a real challenge.
The first thing I did was dump out all the components onto a big piece of cardboard, sort
MOSFET kit, but it assumes that youre building

everything that way. If you want a more straightforward build, the instructions are quite clear,
and its fairly simple.
them out, tape them down and write their values beside them with a sharpie. The parts list
provided in the manual is great for this. I also
used a web-based resistor color code calculator to provide me with the values for the many
resistors in the kit; a number of such calculators
can be easily found with Google. I did the same
for the MOSFET kits components separately.
Except for a mysterious capacitor that didnt
seem to be listed (but was used later in the
build), and a still-mysterious pot that wasnt
mentioned anywhere at all, everything was
accounted for. My kit was missing nothing.
The end of the manual covers options for building the MOSFET conversions. Different stages of
the circuit can be built to standard or MOSFET
specs, and each has its own effect. The boost
and clipping stages I chose to go MOSFET on,
so one of the most challenging aspects of my
build was using the diagrams at the end of the
manual to isolate those stages on the PCB, and
then figuring out which components to swap
out and which not to. Each step in the manual
tells you what to do differently if youre using the
The only moment of ambiguity came when I

was about to solder the footswitch wires to the
PCB. The manual had thus far used the terms
like component side to refer to the sides of the
board, but now simply told me to load the
wires in from the top and solder on the bottom
side. To be fair, had I taken a moment to think
about how everything was to fit in the enclosure
I would have made the correct decision. Instead,
I figured the top side of the board must be the
side that will face up when the pedal is completed. Sadly, that wasnt the case.
It sounds like a good Tube Screamer: the overdrive is great, with that edgy sort of breakup
I love, and the switchable mods allow for the
selection of 3 EQ settings: Normal (the TSs characteristic midrange hump), Full (a flatter EQ) and
Fat (bass boost). Another switch lets you pick
your clipping mode: silicon diodes or LEDs (or
MOSFET transistors, if you build it that way) or

lift, which bypasses the clipping stage entirely.
Its as great-sounding a pedal as youd expect a
clone of the revered 808 to be.
There are some challenges to building this kit,
but it can be done easily enough with time and
patience. If youve never held a soldering iron
before, consider trying a simpler kit first to get a

feel for it, but once the motor skills are in place,
little to no electronics know-how is needed to succeed. For the feeling of achievement that comes
from building something practical, and some DIY
cred, BYOC kits are an excellent option. IM
buildyourownclone.com
Small Bear Electronics

Tremulous Bear
Based On: Original design

boutique-style tremolo
Time to Build: 23 days, depending
on experience
Tools Needed: soldering iron and accessories, various screwdrivers, scissors, needlenose and diagonal pliers, tweezers, alligator
clips, adjustable wrench, Xacto knife, Gel
epoxy, Dremel tool with drillbits (a Unibit
would be helpful) and cutting and grinding
attachments (at least), digital multimeter.
Price: $44.95
Not simply a kit provider, Small Bear Electronics

is a parts supplier, importer/exporter, general
store and DIY resource run by Steve Daniels. This
kit is based on a pedal that originally appeared
in Poptronics in 2001, which has been redesigned for an easier build. The aim was to offer
a boutique-quality tremolo that could be built
from readily available components, would provide plenty of flexibility and modern functions,
and left room for hacks and mods. In addition
to interactive Speed controls for a near-infinite
variety of modulations, the pedal also features
Depth, Level and Bias (which varies the amount
of unmodulated signal in the space between
beats). It doesnt stop there, though: the LFO
offers you the choice of triangle or square wave,
and the Var. switch gives you control over the
evenness of the duty cycle of the controlling
signal. All in all, its a fairly sophisticated and
somewhat idiosyncratic design, which promises
plenty of funbuilding and playing. I wouldnt
recommend it for beginners, or those who just
want pedals for less money and are willing to do
the work. If youve built a few easy PCB kits and
you want something more challenging, though,
Id say go for it. Its not a very high price tag for
the learning you can gain.
Our Hum Exterminator (Hum X) gets rid of any ground related hum & buzz. Our Hum
Eliminators stop hum and buzz caused by ground loops and/or unbalanced cables.
All are affordable, easy to use and completely effeccve. Be noise free now.
HE--: Two Channel Hum Eliminator
with // Smart Jacks (TS or TRS)
Hum X:
Ground Loop Filter
Max Current Amps
HE---XLR: Two Channel Hum

Eliminator with // Smart
Jacks (TS or TRS) and XLR Jacks
HE---XLR: Eight Channel Hum Eliminator in Single Space Rack with XLR Jacks. Equipped with Reversible Rack Ears.
HE--: Eight Channel Hum Eliminator in Single Space Rack with // Smart Jacks (TS or TRS). Reversible Rack Ears.
www.ebtechaudio.com
147
The parts and materials are covered clearly and

listed on the schematic, which is easy enough
to follow for anybody with at least some experience at this. It did turn out that a few parts
were missing from the shipped kit (a toggle and
a resistor), but thats not very unusual for a project of this nature, and Steve took care of it right
away. I should say right off the bat, though,
that people who have relatively little experience with following schematics or building on
perfboardor those whose skills may be a little
rusty (like me)should be prepared for this to
go somewhat slowly, at least to begin with. The
instructions provide a good deal of explanation about the design of the circuit, reasons for
choosing particular components, and the how
the different functions of the pedal operate, so
a basic understanding of electronics is going
to come in handy. The instructions also include
some notes and technical info on potential
variations for the more experienced who are
interested in going further afield.
The first part of the build is tooling the unfinished case, using the drilling template (downloaded from the website) and making holes for
the pots, toggles, 1/4" jacks, power jack, bypass
switch and LED bezel. Though this isnt the most
crowded enclosure, marking the centers of the
holes accurately is important. Small Bear recommends using a Unibit to drill the holes to the
proper sizes; not having one, I drilled pilot holes
using markings from the template and then
the build out over many days, so youll know

where you are at any given point. This kit uses
a large pad-per-hole perfboard, but youll still
need respectable soldering skills to keep things
clean. Once the board was complete, it was
just a matter of wiring up the jacks, pots and
switches. Keep in mind that the pedal will work
if you do everything correctly, but may not if you
do only one thing wrong.
widened them with a Dremel toolthis method

requires care, so it takes time and makes a bigger mess (wear gloves and safety glasses!). Next
up was cutting the appropriate holes in the perfboard for the jack flanges and switches. Tooling
an epoxy-glass board creates lots of fiberglass
dust and small pieces, so I added a facemask to
the gloves and glasses. Small Bear has lots of
good suggestions for tooling the housing and
the board, installing switches and for making
sure you get everything right the first time.
I discovered I had done a few things wrong

myself, despite my cautious approach, when
I plugged it in for the first time. Steve Daniels
has a good deal of experience helping kit
builders at this stage, and he offered some
solid advice. After some troubleshooting and
a few Doh! moments, we were up and running. Its a very cool trem, very versatile and
capable of a lot, from choppy, percussive beats
to subtle textures and even some weird but
musical noises. One thing I learned for sure was
that its less fun to build a pedal on a publishing
deadline, but I did learn some other things too,
and I did enjoy myself. CB
smallbearelec.com
From there, the majority of the work involved is

creating the circuit on the perfboard, which can
be a challenge. Mounting components is simple
enough, but theres no etching here, and making
connections from scratch is a precision business.
If youre new to it, go slowly, double check your
work and do plenty of continuity testing. You
should also make a spare copy of the layout
diagram and track your completed connections
with a highlighter, especially if youre spreading
the gear
get it...
Bronze Sonar Snare
6.5 x 14 / Japan Market
1996 Gibson Les Paul

Standard AA Flametop
its all about
1982 Renished
Champagne Gold Metal
Flake Fender Precision Bass
Vox AC-30
Combo Amplier
1960 Harmony Rocket

Hollow Body, Single Cutaway Guitar
gbase.com
Keeley Fuzz Head
Guitar Pedal
0ver 2 million visitors annually
30,000 pieces of quality inventory

Making direct connections between
buyers and sellers
DAddario and GBASE are trademarks of DAddario & Company, Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of others. 2009. All rights reserved.
In 1964 the Brits showed us they

know a thing or two about music.
Tanglewood Guitar Company UK is not affiliated with the

Boston Symphony Orchestras Tanglewood Music Festival.
Here we go again.
Our guitars have been the United Kingdoms

best-selling acoustics for the past 3 years.
Find out what all the fuss is about.
tanglewoodguitars.com
Weve all been there. You roll into a gig and the
headlining band takes one look at your whip and
says, Maaaaan, that rack is whack. Well, were here
with all the bling you need to school the posers on
your next gigspinners for your pedalboards wheels,
custom flame paint job, and an iced-out handle.
But seriously, sometimes a small, inexpensive

improvement, or two, can go a long way to freshening up your rig and making life onstage a lot easier.
Weve rounded up eight such improvements, ranging
from items you wont be able to live without, to a
few more frivolous toys for the arsenal.
Batt-o-Meter
Pedal Riser
The Pedal Riser from StageTrix debuted at
Winter NAMM 09, and we were immediately
struck by its simplicity and effectiveness. A
discrete metal platform fitted with Velcro,
the pedal riser has two purposes: cleaning
up your pedalboard and making sure your
stomps are accurate.
The latter is achieved quite simply. The Pedal
Risers 1 1/16" height raises your back line of
pedals just enough to keep your feet clear of
the pedals in the front. The real value to the
Pedal Riser, however, is in organization. It is
designed to cleanly run your pedals cords
beneath and through the product to eliminate
clutter. To make the most of the Pedal Riser,
you might want to look into custom cable kits
(see below) for the cleanest board possible.
The Pedal Riser is solid and well-built of
18-gauge steel, with cleanly-applied Velcro on
top (female) and bottom (male). The company
also offers compatible Velcro Pedal Fastener
kits for $9.99 for a pack of three. The Pedal
Riser is certainly a professional-grade product,
though outfitting a board with four or five of
these might become a bit costly.
MSRP $23.99
pedalriser.com
The Batt-o-Meter is a new product from Keith

McMillen instruments that theyve dubbed,
the worlds first battery tester for musicians. Outfitted with a special 1/4" plug
called the Power Probe and a side testing
panel, the Batt-o-Meter tests voltage, hours
remaining, percent of battery life, and type of
battery in any 9V pedal (or guitar).
included to mount the Pedal Flex at a

convenient height.
When we first heard about the Batt-o-Meter,

we were skeptical of its usefulness. When it
arrived, however, we found ourselves grabbing every pedal in range (and thanks to this
months pedal roundup, there were a lot) and
testing its battery health. We can definitely
see where a person who doesnt use AC
power would find this as a welcome relief
from unscrewing back panels and licking batteries. For those who use active guitars, it is
particularly appealing.
While its not for everyone, if youve got

the cash and the drive, the Pedal Flex could
change the way you look at using pedals.
The product is easy to useinsert the plug into

a 1/4" input jack, hold the Test button and read
the display (a key to the abbreviations is found
on the products packaging). The Batt-o-Meter
also can test 9V and AA or AAA batteries
externally on its side panel. The device runs on
a 9V battery itself, whichof courseit can
test by holding the power button.
MSRP $34.95
keithmcmillen.com
Pedal Flex
Relentless tweakers pay attentionthe Pedal
Flex is up your alley. Fashioned with a knob
on one end of a wire and a clasp section
on the other end, the Pedal Flex transfers
your tweaks to the pedal below. A mic clip is
Even if youre a dial-it-and-leave-it type when

it comes to live shows, the Pedal Flex does
have some studio or practice applications
you can dial in your sound without interrupting
your flow to bend down and tweak the knobs.
MSRP $69.99
pedalflex.com
P3 Phantom Power
Also announced at Winter NAMM 09, the P3
Phantom Powered Pedal System is the first
way to power your pedals without a power
supply or batteryinstead, the power comes
through the cables connecting your pedals.
You can use the P3 system in a number of
ways, but the least invasive method is an
external kit. Produced as part of Fuchs Plush
pedals line, the external kit features a Power
Station and Power Splitter. The Power Station
FEATURE
7 Add-Ons to Consider
by Rebecca Dirks
is a self-contained DC power supply that
feeds power to the Power Splitter, which then
distributes the power to your pedals.
Existing pedals and amps can be modified
to run the P3 Phantom Power without the
external kit by Fuchs, AnalogMan and Barber
Electronics. Currently the P3 system runs only
9V power, but the company says they are
working on 12V, 18V and 24V compatibility.
George Ls
Cable $1.95/ft.
Plugs $31 $33 for four
georgelsstore.com
pedalboard. The bars run on 12V power and

are attached by Velcro. They are offered in 10",
13" or 16" increments in either blue or green,
and custom lengths are available.
Planet Waves
Pedal Board Kit $96
Bulk Cable $32 $304
Plugs $10 $15 each
planetwaves.com
Mighty Bright MSRP $34.99

mightybright.com
Monkey Dream MSRP $20 $30
monkeydream.com
Plush Power Station MSRP $189

Plush Power Splitter $149
Full Kit MSRP $295
p3dals.com
Neutrik TRS Locking Connector

When youre ready to get serious about your
pedalboard, Neutrik locking jacks are a great
addition. Used by many of the custom pedalboard companies, the Neutrik jacks protect
you (or your bandmates) from accidentally
unplugging your cables.
Custom Cabling
One of the best, easiest and least expensive
ways to make your pedalboard clean and
organized is with custom cabling. George Ls
was an early pioneer in the realm of customizable cables. You can purchase George Ls
cable by the foot in red, black, blue, purple
or white, and with either brass and nickelor gold-plated 1/4" right angle or straight
plugs. No stripping or soldering is required
for the George Ls cables, and they offer a
lifetime warranty on the plugs.
George Ls offers seven different colors of
jackets, meaning you can mix and match
colored cable and jackets to color code your
pedalboard for convenience. They also have
cable clippers and testers available.
Planet Waves also offers a Pedal Board Kit with
10' of cable, 10 right-angle plugs and a mini
cable cutter. This is a simple plug-and-play
solution with solderless 24K gold-plated plugs.
The Planet Waves kit is as easy as cutting the
desired length (cables are pre-marked in foot
increments), loosening a screw on the plug,
inserting and twisting the cable and tightening
the screw. The company has a very simple and
clear instructional video on their website.
In addition to the kits, Planet Waves offers a
Cable Cutter/Tester ($30) and bulk cable (25',
50' and 250' increments) and plugs.
Available with either black or nickel metal

housing and silver or gold contacts, the jacks
lock automatically when the plug is inserted.
Unlocking is as simple as pressing the red
tab on the jack. Installation takes a little more
effort than the other ideas presented here,
but the peace of mind is worth it.
Pedalboard Lights
We love pedalboard lights both for making
your board stand out on stage and making
it easier to see. For the latter, Mighty Bright
makes the aptly named Pedal Board Light,
which features two flexible arms, one with
red LEDs and one with white LEDs. The red
LEDs light the pedalboard discretely, while
the white LEDs provide brighter light. The
light is powered by either AAA batteries or
an AC adapter sold separately.
If youre looking for something a little flashier, a
colored LED bar may be the way to go. You can
buy LED rope lighting from Wal-Mart or Target
(particularly around the holidays), but a company called Monkey Dream is making instrumentspecific LED bars. Also ideal for amps or cabs,
the bars will also more than do the trick for a
MSRP $12.99
neutrik.com
The Flip-Flopper from Pedal-Racks

The Flip-Flopper is a brand-new, potentially
must-have product from Pedal-Racks. There
are a number of DIY projects out there to create a box that swaps the order of your pedals
in your signal chain. The Flip-Flopper puts that
idea in a one-button box with six input/output
jacks. At press time, a Flip-Flopper was on its
way to uswell have more information on its
functionality at premierguitar.com.
MSRP $119
pedalboards.com
153
PEDALS THAT COULD CAUSE YOU TO LOSE TRACK

OF HOURS, DAYS AND THE OCCASIONAL GIRLFRIEND.
They may never understand your excitement about finding a pedal with
that perfect tone. They just know theyre not going to see you for a while.
h a rd w i re p e d al s .com
CM-2 TUBE OVERDRIVE
PRODUCT REVIEW
SChROEDER GuiTaRS
Radio Lane
By BEN FRIEDMAN
Driving Radio Lane

I know what youre thinking but no, this review does not have
something to do with automobiles, and you didnt accidentally pick
up a copy of Car & Driver magazine. In fact, the reference in the
title is actually a street name in Redding, Calif., where the workshop
of up-and-coming luthier Jason Z. Schroeder is located. But Radio
Lane is not only the place where he designs and creates handcrafted
electric guitars, its also the model name of the guitar up for review here.
Judging by the way it playsa lot like driving a finely tuned sports car
zipping along an empty roadthe automobile reference seems more
than appropriate.
I met Schroeder at Summer NAMM and had the opportunity
to learn about his background and his product line, which
currently consists of four models: Chopper, Doublecut,
Shorty (I love this name), and Radio Lane/Single
Cutaway. Schroeder started playing guitar at an early
age and was introduced to luthiery when he convinced his father to buy him materials to construct
a bass. After spending hours in the exotic-woods
section of the lumber yard, Jasons fascination with
tone woods and desire to build guitars was born.
Despite this budding passion to build guitars, Jason
went on to earn a M.S. in Hydrogeology, started a
family and worked as a Geologist. By 2005, Jasons time
spent moonlighting as a luthier reached a point when he
decided to reach out to senior professionals in both fields
to help him make an important career decision. Luckily for us,
luthiery won outthanks to the advice of Bob Benedetto, who
told Jason to, Do what you love, the money will come.
My first impression of the semi-hollow singlecut away Radio Lane, with its highly figured
tone woods combined with its tasteful color
palette, was that it was downright handsome.
The Western Big Leaf Maple quilt top (5/8"
thick) with its matching quilt maple headstock
inlays and truss rod cover are finished in a
Hazel (green/brown) nitrocellulose lacquer
that highlights the exceptional grain of the
maple without making it garish. The shape of
the 1-3/4"-thick Honduran Mahogany body is
inspired by the Les Paul with some significant
differences to improve the balance and playability of this iconic body shape. The body
has a slimmer waist and a broader (less
rounded) carved upper horn that is modeled
after one of Jasons favorite archtop guitars, a
DAquisto Solo.
This particular Radio Lane/Single Cutaway is
Schroeders semi-hollowbody version (solidbody available) and features a Schroederdesigned S hole, one of several unique
creative appointments that can be found on
this guitar. The refined body style, combined
with the chambering, provides weight relief,
balance and added resonance to the instrument. The body is bound along the top and
fingerboard with a strip of flawlessly applied
grained ivoroid binding. The body and neck
are each constructed from a single piece of
Honduran mahogany finished in a medium
shade of brown nitrocellouse lacquer. The
control covers and knobs are carved from
rosewood, and fit perfectly into the overall
color scheme of this guitar. Speaking of
rosewood, the 12" radius fingerboard of this
guitar is carved from an awesome, straightgrained piece of Brazilian rosewood, with an
equally elegant, gold pearl art deco inlay at
the 12th fret. No other fret markers obstruct
the stunning grain of the board.
Overall, the grain of the wood used on this
guitar is exemplary. The 24-5/8"-scale neck
is hand shaped with a 59-style rounded
carve that measures .860" (1st fret) and .970"
(12th fret), and features 22 polished, jumbo
stainless steel frets. The matching finished
headstock features a single classy pearl inlaid
S, and the top edge of the headstock is
contoured with the profile of the matching
Schroeder stoptail bridge.
The hardware selection for the Radio Lane
is equally well thought out. The guitar is
voiced with a pair of nickel-covered Duncan
Antiquity humbuckers that feature aged
Alnico II magnets (Duncans Seth Lover
pickups are also an option). These PAF-style
pickups are scatterwound by hand and feature aged bobbins impregnated with fine
dust particles, along with treated wire and

insulation to duplicate the tempering of years
of use. The pickups are wired to a 3-way,
white-tipped selector (Switchcraft) and a pair
of volume and tone controls (CTS pots) wired
as follows: Pos. 1 (Neck Humbucker), Pos. 2
(Both pickups humbucking/parallel), and Pos.
3 (Bridge Humbucker).
The Schroeder-designed aluminum bridge
features fully adjustable stainless steel saddles, clips and screws. The bridge attaches
to the body in traditional twin mounting stud
fashion, and the chrome strap buttons feature
protective bushings that match nicely with
the clever S shaped, side-mounted input
jack (talk about brand extension). The set
neck attaches to the body at the 16th fret,
which is consistent with this body style, therefore upper fret access on the lower strings
requires some hand gymnastics. The 1.73"
wide bone nut is finely cut and polished,
with its edges smoothly honed. The chrome
Sperzel locking tuners are well seated and
add to the guitars classy appearance.
Schroeders passion for guitars does not
stop at design and aesthetic considerations,
however, as the Radio Lane equally excels in
terms of playability and tone. The guitar is
lightweight, resonant and balanced in both
standing and sitting positions, which can be
a drawback with this type of design. Despite
its semi-hollow design, the Radio Lane was
not at all neck heavy. In fact, I found the neck
very comfortable due to its carve and finish.
This combined with the excellent fretwork
makes this guitar play very easily.
Strummed acoustically, the Radio Lane has a
bold fundamental voice across the frequency
range and a tremendous amount of natural
sustain, which is likely a function of the quality of the overall design and chambered body.
The chambered mahogany body also adds
liveliness to the tone that blends well with the
natural snap of a maple top. The design of
the chamber appears to offer the benefit of
increased resonance without the usually characteristic softness in attack one can encounter
with semi-hollow instruments.
Plugging in
Taking it for a test drive, the tones are similar
to that of a refined Les Paul with the added
bandwidth across all pickup positions. Using
a blackface Fender Bandmaster driving a
2x10 Music Man cab, clean tones exhibited
the characteristic bite of a classic PAF bark
with just the right amount of airiness. The
bridge pickup exhibits a strong fundamental
tone across the entire frequency range, with
a slightly compressed voice that responds

well to pick attack. The neck pickup is full
sounding, and as I added drive to the mix the
bass response spiked slightly, which may be a
function of the chambering and design. The
dual pickup combinations were particularly
notable as the character of the guitar offered
very pleasing tones (particularly blues) by
adjusting each pickup volume/tone settings.
In overdrive settings using a TomasZewicz
15W combo, the guitars responsiveness and
tones sat well in the mix and served up a
bevy of usable tones. It is worth noting that
the guitar had zero feedback issues when
played at high volumes. In one sitting, we
played a series of classic rock tunes and did
find the need to adjust the settings accordingly on the amp. I adjusted the guitar settings and my pick attack and let the Radio
Lane do the driving!
Jason Schroeders offerings have generated
a considerable amount buzz on the online
forums, as well as from professional acts such
as Fleetwood Mac and Gavin Rossdales band.
After driving the Radio Lane, I believe the
attention is warranted, and I predict a bright
future for Jason Z. Schroeder Guitars.
Buy If...
youre seeking stellar Les Paul-type

tones with silky playability and
equally stunning looks.
Skip If...
you are not into some of the retrostyle appointments.
Rating...
5.0
ONTHEWeb
Click here to hear sound clips of
the Radio Lane in action at
premierguitar.com
Jason Z. schroeder Guitars
MsRP $4200 (Base); $4950 (as tested)
schroederguitars.com
157
Introducing
the
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19.95
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It sits atop the outside corner of your

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s&
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Order online at
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PRODUCT REVIEW
aCOuSTiC iMaGE
Ten2 Combo
FROM BOTh a GuiTaR aND BaSS PERSPECTivE

By DAN BERkOwITZ AND BOB GOFFsTEIN
Some people skirt convention, developing

a fresh take on what it means to create an
amp. If youre an acoustic player, the Acoustic
Image Ten2 combo requires a stretch of the
imagination just to fathom the path taken in
its design. Picture a combo thats equally at
home with string bass, acoustic guitar, hollowbody jazz guitar, keyboards, vocals, and a
whole gamut of other string instruments.
a Guitar Players Perspective
But what if this amp were imagining had

two 10" speakers and a tweeter, measured
only 17" high and weighed just 28 pounds?
What if this amp pushed eight ... hundred ...
watts of power into a little round boxabout
the same height and weight as a Princeton
Reverb amp, except with 67 times as much
powerand provided full-range sound from
30 Hz to 20kHz?
By Bob Goffstein
Just as the Acoustic Image (AI) name and
philosophy has legendary status among bass
players, the Ten2 breaks new ground in versatility by being very suitable for the guitarist
and vocalist as well. The core of its increased
versatility begins with a true two-channel
amp, with features that provide sonic and signal routing solutions like no other guitar amp.
I like to think of it as the hand grenade of
Thats just the beginning of what Acoustic

Image came up with in the fourth generation
of its compact, high-powered acoustic amp,
this time called the Ten2. Here are two takes
on this rig, first through the eyes of a guitarist
(thats Bob), and then from a bassists vantage
point (from Dan).
amps, though its round little body, especially

with its tilt-back legs deployed, also speaks
to me of my favorite Star Wars robot, R2D2.
Versatility starts at the beginning of the signal
chain: the inputs. Each of the two inputs utilizes
a 1/4" XLR combo jack. The XLR portion presents 600-ohm impedance and 47 volts of phantom power, ideal for both dynamic and condenser mics. The 1/4" input shows 1 megohm
of impedance, optimal for piezo pickup outputs
without the need for a separate preamp.
Guitarists will note the absence of channel
switching, which is no big loss since the amp is
really not designed for rhythm/lead rock/blues
work. Its class-D power amp and solid-state
preamp are just too clean. With an SPL of 93dB
at one watt, the Ten2s other 799 watts provide
159
Ten2 Combo
beaucoup de headroom and a true high-fidelity
platform. You just arent going to overdrive
anything here (more on that later). Additional
cool features for the singer/guitarist are the
feedback-controlling notch filter and a high-pass
filter that are selectable on each channel. Some
high-end instrument pickups utilize a small mic
inside the guitar as well as a piezo or magnetic
elementeasy to accommodate with the Ten2.
Alternatively, use an external mic along with your
built-in piezo. The Ten2 is ready for that, too.
Onboard effects are yet another set of bullets
in the gunbelt of this singing cowboy. Although
only one effect can be selected at a time, they
may be routed to one or both channels or, of
course, neither. In addition, each channel has
its own Effect Level control. If you need more,
dont forget theres a blendable effects loop on
each channel, too. I found the onboards to be
very sweet in their preset format, though I must
admit I had trouble finding a use for the flanger.
An additional, and rather unique, function adding to an already versatile platform is the Ten2s
Channel 2 switch. In the off position, this little
button disconnects the output of the channel
2 preamp from the combos power amp, yet it
retains its output at the Effect Send jack. You
can then connect this output to an outboard
power amp to create a true stereo mode.
For example, place a powered PA speaker on
a stand and run voice on channel 2 to put your
voice up and above the crowd, with full control
from the preamp. Another way is to Y-cord the
two preamp inputs together and put a delay in
line with the output of the send to the input jack
of a second guitar amp, which creates a huge
sonic stage panorama for your instrument. And
there are many more variations on this theme,
limited only by your imagination and equipment.
Earlier, I mentioned this is not really an amp
for use on rock and blues gigs. While true
for the amp by itself, you can put the Ten2
to this task. Take an A/B/Y box and input the
same instrument to both channels. Then use
the Ten2s Channel 2 switch to separate the
two channels, sending channel 2 to overdrive
a blues amp. I tried this re-amp feature with

my SF Champ, Tweed Deluxe, and Boogie
.22. In each trial I was able to produce tone
and volume that integrated seamlessly with
the rhythm channel 1 sound, and yet
delivered a very sweet tube crunch merely
by switching channels. The amount of overdrive is controlled by the channel 2 preamp
Volume, and the overall volume of the blues
machine is controlled by its Gain control.
I then switched to the Y input mode and
used the two amps together. I gave this
arrangement a couple of tweaks, turning
off the Ten2s tweeter and dialing down the
highs. Everything seemed in phase and created a composite sound with strong, tight
lows and sweet, crunchy mids and highs.
Okay, time to get back to the sound
of the amp itself.
For this segment, I called on a few friends with
nice instrument setups and better voices than
mine, although I did put my two cents worth
in for a few tracks. First, we tried acoustic
guitar with a piezo pickup. The sound was luscious with tight, authoritative lows and clear,
sweet highs. The mids were musical without a
hint of nasality. We then added vox to channel 2 and, once again, after a bit of feedback
notching for the small studio room, the sound
was authoritative yet as neutral as the RE 20
dynamic mic we were using.
Next came dobro in C tuning. The highs
again were sweet without the stridency sometimes associated with a metal slide. The low
C string growled with Rottweiler-like authority and Muhammad Ali punch. Removing the
verb added a bit more to this gut-rattling
attack. We then plugged in an electric guitar.
Using the bridge humbucker produced some
superbly clean chicken pickin with all the
snap and pluck you might wantno feather
left on that bird! Jazz sounds came next, and
what a treat that was. Turning off the tweeter
and rounding the sound a bit made for a Joe
Pass-like tone to die for. Turning the tweeter
back on and playing some tight interval
chord-melodies really brought out each interval, along with the total harmonic structure of
each chord. (Did I mention that Pat Martino
uses AI amps?)
While you can use the Ten2 in straight-ahead
plug nplay, placing all of its features, power
and dynamic range requires some knowledge
of signal routing and levels. It is possible to
harm the amp, making this more of a proaudio product than most guitar amps. But all
this versatility and tonal nirvanacombined
with a five-year warranty and AIs legendary
customer servicemake it very difficult to
find any fault whatsoever with the Ten2.
A Bassists Perspective
By Dan Berkowitz
I first tried the Ten2 with my trusty G&L
L-2500 five-string bass. The result? A solid
bottom end that easily hung in, clear down
to the low B. The Ten2 doesnt have the zing
of a typical amp designed strictly for electric bass, but its focus, warmth and lack of
boominess create a pleasant bass sound that
will fit a lot of your small gig settings. I also
tried the Ten2 with a fretless bassthe bottom was once again solid, with the focus of
its notes beautifully defined.
I then gave the Ten2 a try with my Azola
BugBass electric upright, a beefy axe with a
fat bottom end that has challenged many a
little amp and walked away laughing. As you
might expect, at a blues trio rehearsal the
Ten2 provided a pillow of bottom end from
its down-firing speaker, while the forwardfacing speaker did a great job of maintaining
presence. At a small wine bar gig with this
group, I kept the controls nearly flat and
turned down the Room Coupling Control a
notch. The extremely quick and focused low
end got through the mix on the merits of its
clean note definitioninstead of pushing the
midskeeping the sound smooth and round.
In one last go-round, I plugged the
Revolution Solo piezo pickup on my old
American Standard upright into the Ten2, and
thats where the high-pass filter and notch
filter proved valuable. The variable frequency
high-pass (aka low cut) filter was great for
taming the low end and eliminating those
sub-range frequencies that make a speaker
cone flop around. The notch filter, in contrast,
zeroes in on a narrow frequency band and
cuts out instrument resonance that produces
feedback on one or two notes. In all, I got
a nicely detailed sound with a well-defined,
natural-sounding bottom end.
A Guitar Players
Perspective
Finally, theres a secret benefit for bass players: just turn two thumb screws and the head
slides right out, ready to hook up to a bigger cab and loaded with plenty of power for
whatever situation you might face.
Although its a niche piece of gear, the Ten2
offers plenty of versatility for the bassist playing
a variety of instruments. You could even double
on electric and acoustic basses by plugging one
into each input and dialing in separate EQs.
Likewise, if youre playing upright bass with
both a piezo pickup and a condenser mic, the
Ten2 makes the task a cinch.
We did, however, find the Ten2 just a touch
awkward to carry, although its built-in side
handles are up to the job. You also need to
remove the power cord and speaker cable for
safe transporting, but thats a quick task. The
amp actually includes a slipcover with carrying
strap and cord pouch that wasnt available at
the time of our review.
Buy If...
youre a guitarist/vocalist seeking a lightweight and versatile gigging amp for

small to medium venues; if you double
on bass or keyboard, so much the better.
Skip If...
Rating...
Buy If...
you need a super-high quality,

flexible amp for small or large
stages, or youre an upright
player or a doubler.
Skip If...
you play primarily electric guitar in a

high-gain style at high stage volume.
5.0
ONTHEWeb
you need a really loud rig to keep

up with a rock band and you like to
play it dirty.
Rating...
5.0
ONTHEWeb

the amp in action at

the amp in action at
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com

Street $1539
acousticimg.com
A Bassists
Perspective

Street $1539
acousticimg.com
161
PRODUCT REVIEW
Jarrett
Zaffiro XJ
BY PAT SMITH
The Scoop
The Zaffiro (which means sapphire) is made in
the United States by a small-shop company
called Jarrett in Westport Connecticut, whose
motto is Redefining the American custom
shop instrument one hand-built guitar at a
time . The slogan alone makes you want
to stop and at least take a look, right? Even
better, the company sells direct to the consumer in order to keep their prices as low as
possible. In todays economy, you cant really
ask for anything better! And it doesnt seem
to have affected their business at all. Orders
have been steady, and they seem to make
some pretty cool guitars, so thats why we
decided to take a look. So lets do that.
feels more comfortable to hold on to. And

even though it may have a bit more chunk
than a Les Paul, the body is chambered and
weighs in at 8.8 lbs., which isnt too bad, and
may even be lighter than most. The Top is
unbound, and on this review model the quilt
figure is quite striking. Overall, the finish work
is good, as is the fretwork. Our review model
came with pickups custom made for Jarrett
by Seymour Duncan, although you can order
it with a set of Bartolini pickups as well. Other
features on the Jarrett Zaffiro XJ include
a GraphTech Tusq nut, and top-of-the-line
Gotoh 510 Delta tuners, which for my money
are the best damn tuners on the market
today. It also comes in a TKL hardshell case,
which is nice!
The Zaffiro looks sort of like a fatter Les Paul,

and as with any guitar, you either like the
looks or you dont. Personally, I think it looks
great. The Zaffiro has a mahogany body with
a nicely figured maple cap and a neck crafted
from mahogany. The fingerboard is topped
with macassar ebony then bound with maple
and given a 12" radius. The width of the nut
is 1-11/16". Unlike Gibson, however, Jarrett
uses a 25.5" scale length, and the body is
larger than a Les Paul. To me, this guitar just
Jarrett offers the Zaffiro in several configurations. Our sample is outfitted with a Pigtail
aluminum bridge, but you can also get it with
a wooden tailpiece for more of a jazz-style
guitar look. And, if you want something more,
Jarrett does custom work as well, and will
build out your Zaffiro (or any of their other
models) with your choice of tonewoods, scale
length, finish, neck, etc.
Lets Pick!
Ill just start off by telling you that I like this
guitar. I like its looks, and though the neck
shape isnt quite what I would pick, it just
flat-out feels good. Although our sample
isnt the jazz model, it still feels like a jazz
guitar. The neck is somewhat wide-ish and
fairly thin, but not shredder thin. The ebony
fingerboard is bound and the finish work on
the frets is great, as you might expect from
someone that builds them one guitar at a
time. The frets are not super jumbos, and
are in fact fairly low profile which can make
bending a bit of a problem for some. But for
straight head jazzin, this guitar is simply the
real deal. Lowand I mean loooooooow and
comfyaction that feels like a guitar set at
a way higher price point. Really, I cant say
enough about the great playability of this guitar except: excellent! Did I mention that the
quilted maple top makes me drool?
Tone-wise, I think this axe could fit in almost
any musical situation. Even though the body
is chambered, the Zaffiro has nice sustain.
The tone from the neck pickup is warm and
clear, and the bridge pickup delivers plenty
of bite. Pickups are, of course, very much a
165
Jarrett
Zaffiro XJ
matter of personal taste, and the glory is that
if you dont like them you can just change
them. Jarrett offers several different kinds
including Duncans, Gibsons and Bartolinis,
and are open to custom choices. So whatever
your preference for pickups, just tell em!
The only issue I found was that the goodlooking wooden pickup rings were not
well fitted to the top and I could see a gap
between the ring and the top. They just
didnt want to lay flat on the top. I contacted
Jarrett about this and I was told that they
rushed to get the guitar ready for review and
the wrong rings were used. OK, I can buy
that. They said they would, of course, make it
right for a customer, and I can buy that, too.
So, its not really a big deal, but I always want
to tell the whole story.
I also want to mention the body shape. I
have never been comfortable with Les Pauls.
I think they look very nice, but I can never
get comfortable with them. While the Jarrett
does have the look and overall vibe of a
Les Paul, it just works a lot better for me.
Because it is wider, it sits in your lap better
and seems well, just more correct in terms

of how deep the body is compared to how
wide it is. The fact that its chambered means
it is a bit lighter to hold, and it still sustains
great. The body width also feels more comfortable on my right arm as it hangs over the
body. The peghead may seem a bit unusual
to some, but to me it looks pretty classic, in
an art deco sort of way, and I like it. I showed
the Zaffiro to some friends and got mixed
reactions. For some, the peghead can make
or break the deal and that has always amazed
me. If a guitar plays and sounds great, why
would you worry about how the peghead
looks? To each his own, right?
All this got me asking myself, What I would
do differently if I were to order one? Hey,
you dont end up reviewing guitars unless
you can envision yourself owning every guitar
that goes by, right? To answer the question, I
would have a slightly narrower neck, but with
a thicker profile like my trusty ES-330. I think
I could also go for some way cool P-90 pickups, and maybe jumbo frets for sure. I might
go for a sort of Gretsch orange color as the
finish. Actually, I lie awake at night thinking
these sorts of thoughts do I need help?

What would you pick for options?
the Final Mojo

Jarrett is doing the direct sales thing la
Carvin, and they are making a great product
at a very reasonable price. These are madein-the-USA guitars with a one-year parts
and labor warranty, and they even give you
seven days so you can make sure you like it.
Jarrett also seems very open to making the
customer happy, which is not only good but
necessary in direct sales. As we all know too
well, one unhappy customer can mean a lot
of lost sales, thanks to the internet. Jarrett
can do custom work that includes six body
styles and you get to pick the rest. Style,
tone, playability and even a nice casewhat
more do you want? So considering the
price, the custom features, quality and just
that it is a kick ass guitar, I would recommend it for sure. Ratings-wise, I wound give
this guitar a 5, knock off a half point for the
pickup rings, but add a half point for the
quality-to-price ratio.
Buy If...
you want a high quality Americanmade guitar at an import price.
Skip If...
I cant think of a reason. Perhaps
if you want a body shaped like
a croissant?
Rating...
5.0
ONTHEWeb
Click here to hear sound clips
of the guitar in action at
premierguitar.com
Jarrett Guitars
MSRP $1495
jarrettguitars.com
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Now you can.
The Raleigh is our rst single EL-84 amp, and
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compact new design like clean blackface
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Play a Raleigh today at your Carr dealer or visit
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PRODUCT REVIEW
KragenbrinK
OM
Fingerstylist
BY GAYlA DRAkE PAUl
This years nomination for the PG Truth In Advertising Award

goes to Kragenbrink for calling this guitar the Fingerstylist.
Wow! Its a fingerstylists dream. I love fretboards you can
land aircraft on, and this one is wide enough for a B1. But
perhaps I am getting ahead of myself.
Meet the Fingerstylist

This is a very simple but extremely elegant guitar.
Kragenbrink let the woods speak here, visually as well
as audibly. The top is Adirondack spruce, the back is a
purplish dark Indian rosewood, and the five-piece neck is
mahogany with two accent strips of Brazilian rosewood.
Bridge, fretboard and headstock overlay are also Brazilian,
as are the rich dark bindings. The soundhole is circled by
one stunningly simple piece of Indian rosewood, and the
perflings are black/white/rosewood/white/black. There is
no backstrip, and the joint is so clean you can barely see
it. The finish is polyurethane, glossy and glassy smooth.
Altogether, its simply gorgeous.
169
OM Fingerstylist
The fretboard is 1-3/4" at the nut and 2-1/4"
at the saddle, which is not an unusual width,
but the flatness and thinness of the neck
make it seem wider. It plays like buttah, and
thats a tall order for an acoustic. The body
is 19-3/4" long and 15-1/4" across the lower
bout, with a nice slope from 3-1/2" at the
neck to 4-5/8" at the butt. The Gotoh 510
Contour tuners are a lovely complement,
and feel solid as a rock. All Kragenbrink
guitars ship in climate controlled, premium
Ameritage hardshell cases, which are quite
attractive and sturdy, but heavy.
Lance Kragenbrink has been building guitars
in his one-man shop since 2000, producing
six to eight guitars a year, and he currently
has a two- to three-year backlog. He has several models, small bodies and dreadnaughts,
along with a 12-string and a short-scale guitar. He worked hard to develop his signature
sound, which he describes as an even balance
that is rich and powerful and highly sensitive. I cant find a single word to argue with
in that description. He also says he prefers
understated appointments that feel and look
organic, and again, all I can say is amen.
One of the first things I did was to take the
guitar to visit my local Guitar Mafia. Hearing
it when its on your own lap is one thing, but
hearing it played by someone else whose
playing youve heard most of your life is
another. This guitar has an almost ethereal
tone, but at the same time its incredibly
powerful. Each guitarist brought out some
different properties. In Steve Armstrongs
hands I noticed incredible punch and snap,
but when Pat Smith picked it up it was
the sustain and brilliance that really came
through. Michael Belmont brought out a
funky-cool undertone that still had a belllike purity. I dont think this is a sign of a
guitar with multiple personalities; this guitar
simply gives you tremendous tone however
you approach it. Some really appreciated
the wide fretboard while others found it too
much of an adjustment. The body shape and
size were universally popular.
Ever curious, Armstrong reached inside the
soundhole to see what he could detect in
the bracing. He thought, from what he could
feel, that Kragenbrink hybridized X and
classical-style bracings. I asked Lance about
that, and he told me that his ideas about
bracing come from his own intuition and
experience. A guitar is a guitar, he said. If
you build something that looks like one, itll

probably sound like one. So what youre left
with to distinguish your guitars from the rest
are playability and sound; your own personal
sound, which comes in a large part from the
way you voice and brace the top. His bracing is similar to Martin bracing, but he has a
few wrinkles of his own. I have specific places that I put braces on my guitars, he said,
and I spend a lot of time flexing and bending the top. Theres a certain feel Im going
for; a certain flexibility. Where I place the
tone bars depends on the flexibility of the
top, and I might have to take quite a bit off
a brace to allow the top to vibrate the way
I want it to, to get my sound. Every piece
of wood is different, so Kragenbrink says the
bracing is a little different for each guitar.
turn those Fingers Loose!

Back home again, I decided to spend a little
time recording right away, because I suspected this guitar would be an amazing studio
instrument with its brilliant highs and beautifully supported lows. I was right. It shimmers
with warmth, and is capable of both thunder
and lightning. Not many guitars will give you
both. It records very purely, without any weird
mid-rangey artifacts or bass overdrive, even
dropped into a C tuning.
On the couch for an evening, it was a perfectly delightful companion. The body shape
is quite comfortable to hold for long periods
of time, and the wide fretboard and thin neck
let me play without fatigue. Some of the
DADGAD stretches require a pretty big finger
spread, and they were a bit of a challenge.
Fortunately, hands adjust pretty quickly to
new territories.
I couldnt resist a little flatpickin just to see
what this baby would do. For the loose,
Celtic-style big chords with lots of moving
notes between, its lovely. However, for serious fiddle tune or cross-pickin, that wide
fretboard and string spacing is not ideal. A
flatpickin guitar is not what this axe is trying
to be, so no harm, no foul. It is, however, one
of the best damn fingerstyle guitars these fingers have ever been on, and thats just fine.
Standard tuning is great on this guitar, which
is no surprise, but when you drop it into
altered tunings it simply comes alive. Wide
fretboards encourage a serious fingerstylist
to be more accurate and aggressive, to nail
the hammer-ons with both hands, to push
beyond how we normally play just because

we can. Big, booming bassy chords sustained
beautifully under melodic lines, and harmonics rang nearly forever, letting me play
melody over the top and lose only the strings
I touched. Slides were great, and I could still
hear the original note ringing clearly when
I slid to another, especially if I dug in a little
bit on the attack. It takes a truly remarkable
instrument to do all of that without overwhelming the ears with unfriendly overtones,
so well done.
the Final Mojo

The joy of playing a top-notch, truly exceptional instrument cannot be compared to
much of anything else, but if youre reading PG you probably know that. This is one
of those guitars that can provide a peak
experience for a player, where time doesnt
mean anything and the world drops away.
In the studio, this could become a go-to
axe that could complement any recording.
If youre a serious fingerstyle player, this
could be your Holy Grail.
Buy If...
youre looking for a monster fingerstyle guitar that will allow you to
soar.
Skip If...
youd rather be flatpickin or if
you arent ready for a guitar this
advanced.
Rating...
5.0
ONTHEWeb
of the guitar in action at
premierguitar.com
kragenbrink Guitars
MSRP $5650
kragenbrinkguitars.com
171
173
PRODUCT REVIEW
TomasZewicz Amplifiers
TZZ-15112
By Ben Friedman
The most recent session of Summer NAMM

may have been without many of the big
manufacturers, but that didnt stop some
lesser-known companies from taking advantage of the slightly muted vibe of the event
to showcase their offerings. The more intimate setting also offered the PG team a
chance to scout out some of the gear we
normally might have missed. When I picked
up some driving riffs cutting through the
constant din of the show, I let my feet follow
my ears to the TomasZewicZ amplifier booth.
After chatting with John Tomaszewicz, the
owner and chief amp designer of JT Sound,
Inc., and checking out his offerings, I was
pleased to have the opportunity to review the
single-channel TomasZewicZ 1x12" 15-watt

combo, the TZZ-15112.
Though he formed JT Sound Inc. a mere four
years ago, John Tomaszewicz has been pursuing his passion for innovative tube amp designs
since the early 1970s. An electrical engineer by
training, John spent the early part of his career
working for a large electronic manufacturer
designing and testing a host of electrical circuits. After teaching himself tube amp design,
John took the lessons learned from his day
job (along with access to expensive electrical
testing equipment) to begin designing tube
amp circuits that take the next step forward
rather than mimic a particular vintage vibe.
As a gigging guitarist and recording engineer,

John wanted his amps to meet the goal of
having exceptional clarity, responsiveness and
enhanced frequency response. The result is an
amp designed to excel in both the studio and
onstage. An emphasis on reliability and serviceability are also incorporated into the design
through the use of components that exceed
their respective ratings.
The Benefits of Innovation

While the circuit design of the TZZ-15112
is unique, its aesthetics borrow from some
timeless designs. Out of the box, the amp
has a striking resemblance to the venerable
Marshall 1974X 1x12 Combo, with its expertly
applied black tolex covering, contrasting

white piping and Bluesbreaker colored
grille cloth. The top-mounted chassis utilizes
a combination of black studio knobs (Cut,
Gain, Sustain, Master Volume) and white
chicken-head-style knobs for its passive
tone stack (Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence)
and Pre Amp Gain controls. The use of black
and white knobs is a thoughtful design decision, as it proves useful in adjusting levels in
low light conditions. The black control panel
is finished off with a single input, indicator
light, standby switch and power switch. The
rear of the amp features an open-back cabinet design and with an effects loop, 4 and 8
ohm outputs, power input and a pair of fuses.
All in all, a very attractive ampmy only
quibble is that it lacks corner guards to protect it when you take it out to be heard.
Under the hood, its overall design reflects
the hand of an experienced amplifier builder.
The cabinet is made from 13-ply Baltic birch
and features 1/4" finger joints. Situated in
the cabinet is one 12" Veteran 30 speaker
from Warehouse Guitar Speakers, LLC. This
US-based direct seller of speakers produces
well-executed versions of classic speaker
models. According to WGS, the Veteran
30 takes all the goodness of the Celestion
Vintage 30 speaker with a tonal improvement smoothing the spike in the uppermids. Housed in a spot-welded chassis made
from heavy gauge aluminum, the circuit is
constructed using a printed circuit board to
maintain consistency, as well as point-to-point
wiring for the chassis-mounted tube sockets.
The amps modular design makes servicing
easier for techs.
With an emphasis on reliability, TomasZewicz
does not use any relays or switches in the
circuit (other than On/Off and Standby) and
every component used in the circuit has ratings that exceed the voltage and temperature
environment over the required frequency
band. Although TomasZewicz believes superior performance is achieved in the circuit
design versus components used, the amp features a beefy custom Pacific power transformer (with two extra taps for the sustain circuit),
an ultra-linear Hammond output transformer,
PEC pots and Sprague Orange Cap Drop

capacitors. The amp also features an array
of JJ tubes that include a pair of EL84s in
the power section and a 12DW7/ECC832 in
the preamp, followed by one 12AX7/ECC83
and then three 12AT7/ECC81s for the makeup gain stage and the tube-buffered effects
loop. The phase inverter tubes are run in parallel, adding a level of smoothness and fatness to its overall tone (think Matchless). Its
cathode bias design does not require re-biasing, so tube tweakers can rejoice accordingly.
The TZZ-11512 has some interesting features
that are worth noting. The integrated Sustain
feature on this amp is a studio-quality design:
a dynamic control device that offers just the
right amount of compression with a hint of
drive. It works in tandem with the Drive control
to push the power section on the amp to the
desired level of breakup. These controls could
easily be sold separately as a discrete effect.
The Cut knob acts as a low-pass filter on the
power amp, and Presence offers more crispness to the overall tone. The Pre-Amp Gain
knob adds an articulate, smooth drive tone
that sits somewhere between a Vox- and Plexitype overdrive. The tube-powered buffered
effects loop sounds great with no treble loss.
Plugging in
I took Johns advice and put all the studio
knobs to zero and began dialing in certain
tones. Pushing the Sustain and Drive up in
tandem with the Pre-Amp Gain set around
3, I was instantly greeted with a tone that
was filled with EL84 chime laced with tasty
harmonics. Think REM- or Early Tom Pettytype tones. The passive tone stack also acts
as a Volume control, and bringing up their
respective levels brought out the responsiveness and articulation of the fundamental
tone. With so much sustain at my fingertips,
I found myself playing single-note lines at
an ever slowing pace to enjoy the harmonic
complexity of each note. Pushing the PreAmp Gain along with the Drive and Sustain
knobs revealed a more-than-adequate power
section with no discernable sag, as power
chords barked with authority and solid string
separation. I found the amp easily capable
of handling both single-coil and humbucking
pickups, with my favorite being a Nash

Keef Tele loaded with a Lollar Special pickup in the bridge that consistently offered up
a pleasing blend of drive and chime.
the Final Mojo

I was able to jam with the amp with another
guitarist and a drummer and found the amp
sat well in the mix. The amps responsiveness
was evident as small changes in pick attack
and guitar volume control brought substantial changes in overall tone. At times I found
myself wanting more clean headroom with
slightly less hum, but Im sure TomasZewiczs
higher-powered EL34 heads and combos
could offer the additional sonic real estate.
It is great to see an original amp circuit in a
saturated amp market; I suggest folks consider TomasZewiczs offerings.
Buy If...
youre seeking classic rock/blues

tones that cut through the mix
with articulation, harmonic complexity and tremendous sustain.
Skip If...
you require two channels, reverb or
copious amounts clean headroom.
Rating...
4.5
ONTHEWeb
of the amp in action at
premierguitar.com
JT Sound Inc.
MSRP $1825
jtsoundinc.com
175
PRODUCT REVIEW
L.R. Baggs
Venue DI
By Gayla Drake Paul
The Venue DI from L.R. Baggs is a superhandy expanded version of their famous
Para Acoustic DI, which Ive had in my rig
for over a decade now. In addition to the
5-band EQ, the Venue includes a Garrett
Null anit-feedback notch filter, a tuner and
a truly useful clean boost. Ive plugged into
enough PA systems over the years to prize
highly a piece of gear that lets me take control of my sound, bust the feedback for myself (almost instantly) and be heard clearly
the way I want to be heard inside a mix.
The Venue is a powerful weapon in the fight
against those frightening creatures known
as Soundtechs From Hellyou know
the ones. They think acoustic guitars are
for girls and old people, and have usually
burned out so much of their hearing that
they cant tell what you sound like anyway.
Take a Tour of the Venue

The Venue is a sleek-looking piece of gear
that will be immediately familiar to users
of the ParAcoustic DI or the Baggs Core 1
Reference Monitor. The 5-band EQ section
is responsive and powerful, with Bass, Lowmid, Hi-mid, Presence and Treble controls,
with the mids controls being particularly
robust, allowing you to choose the specific
frequencies to cut or boostfrom 100Hz
500Hz in the lows and 500Hz2.8kHz in
the highs. The Bass, Presence and Treble
controls are 12dB boost/cut at 90Hz, 3kHz
and 10kHz respectively. There is the customary 1/4" instrument input, an XLR out and a
line out. The unit requires a 9V battery or a
standard DC power supply, and cannot be
phantom powered.
The proprietary Garrett Null anti-feedback

control is easy and quite effective. The knob
allows you to sweep through all the usual
suspects (that pesky 60Hz320Hz range) and
eliminate just the offending frequency while
doing virtually no damage to your tone. The
knob clicks off when you turn it all the way
counter-clockwise. When you hear feedback
starting to blow up, simply sweep the knob
slowly from left to right; when the knob
reaches the problem frequency, the feedback
just ... stops. Thats it. Id call that an idiotproof solution thats tone-friendly, too.
The Venue has Gain and Volume controls,
which gives you yet more control over your
tone. The Gain should be set so that the
LED clip indicator is flashing up to orange
177
Venue DI
consistently, and only occasionally into the
red. This is importantnot enough gain and
your tone is wimpy and theres a danger of
generating the dreaded self-noise. Too
much gain and you may overdrive whatever
system you are plugging into. Once the
Gain is set appropriately you can bring up
the Volume accordingly. According to the
manual, The XLR output is not affected by
the volume control, but is affected by all
other controls. Good to know.
Another Gain control, located on the back,
works with the Boost, and this is my favorite
part. You can set the Boost to make you
from 0dB to 9dB louder when you stomp on
the switch. I tested it with my bass player
and drummer at a recent gig and it just
about made me giddy. When it was my turn
to solo, stomp, Wow! We could all hear
every note I played (fortunately, I was having a good night). You can boost a little or a
lot, and a little is a lot more than you might
think. Frankly, its darned impressive.
The pedal also includes effects send and
return and a ground/lift. According to the
user manual, The transformer-coupled DI
provides full isolation through the DI output

when the switch is in the lift position to
help defeat ground loops that can occur
when more than one connection is made to
the DI. Handy.
My only quibble with the tuner is that its
a little slow to respond and seems to lock
up once in a while. This just isnt okay when
youre trying to keep momentum going
during a set. The tuner is really cool looking
and brightly lit with big letters (which is a
huge plus), and when you activate it the
signal to the board is muted, which is a
very smart feature. I wish it were quicker to
respond, though, because the ease of use
makes it a highly desirable function.
The Final Mojo

If you frequently plug into PA systems,
this can be a tone-saving device that can
give you the option to control your sound
completely. The clean boost and feedback
control are simply fantastic, and combined
with the EQ, Gain and Volume controls, this
could become essential gear for acoustic
players everywhere. Those crafty elves at
Baggs have done it again!
Buy If...
you like the ease of going direct to

a PA system, but want more immediate and user-friendly control.
Skip If...
you use a high-end guitar amp as a
DI/monitor, or you only want one of
the things this pedal can do.
Rating...
4.5
ONTHEWeb
of the unit in action at
premierguitar.com
l.R.Baggs Co.
Street $299
lrbaggs.com
Great Tone is Rarely Found

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introduction of the 40th anniversary
Shelby Cobra commemorative series.
In the process, we discovered that
creating great musical tone is strictly a
personal preference, and not what
some big manufacturer decides it
should be.
In response, we created a company to

produce a series of custom instruments
built to each customers specs, and sold
direct at a price even a working
musician couldnt pass up.
Jarrett Forza
Jarrett Zaffiro
Players Series instruments, where

you choose the pick ups, hardware,
electronics, wiring, nut and saddles,
etc begins at $1049 direct. Platinum
Series hand carved models, where the
player chooses EVERY option begins
at just $1795.
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BUY DIRECT OR FIND US AT

DISCRIMINATING DEALERS
PRODUCT REVIEW
Fishman
Aura
Spectrum DI
Fishmans Aura Spectrum DI is a revolutionary
beast. Its not a modeler, designed to make your
guitar sound like something its not, so get that
idea right out of your head now. What it does
is return things like Helmholtz resonance to the
sound of your pickup, in order to restore the
sound of the guitar as heard when professionally
micd in a pro studio. And if you didnt know,
Helmholtz resonance is basically the sound of
the air coming out of your guitar, and is one
important piece of what defines the sound of a
guitar. Its what a mic pics up when you place it
just to the northeast of the soundhole in a studiothat amazingly complex and rich tone that
sounds so deliciously guitary. No matter how
good your pickup is, its not going to deliver
that tone, so the clever wizards at Fishman decided to create software images that allow you
to blend that resonance into your sound. This
was the impetus of the Fishman Aura system,
and now the Aura Spectrum DI.
According to Fishman, they recorded several
hundred guitars with a generous sampling of
mics in different placements and at the same
time recorded the output of the Fishman
Acoustic Matrix undersaddle pickup. Then, using
a proprietary computer algorithm, they created
what they call Images. When you use an undersaddle or soundhole pickup to play back through
an Image, the microphone recording is restored.
Because every guitar has a signature sound, Fishman stresses the important of using the exact image (or as close as possible) for your instrument
in order to achieve the most realistic sound.
By Gayla Drake Paul
The Aura Spectrum DI can be used to go direct

to a PA system or a mic preamp for recording,
or you can use it with an acoustic guitar amp. It
uses either a 9V battery or a DC power supply,
but cannot use phantom power. The Spectrum
DI comes with a CD containing additional Images and the Aura Image Gallery software to
install them into the User Images bank.
Be Not Afraid
Its an overwhelming array of buttons, knobs
and selectors, but its really pretty intuitive.
Theres Volume and Blend, and between them
theres a big knob with a bunch of numbers,
and a curved slider with the different banks
printed alongside that allows you to choose
from Dreadnought, Orchestra, Concert,
Jumbo, Nylon, 12-string, Bluegrass or User
images. The Bluegrass bank actually includes
images of fiddles, mandolins and dobros.
The next row of knobs is the 3-band EQ section (Low, Mid and Hi), and the compressor.
The EQ section default is for the guitars pickup only, but if you want to EQ the images you
can do that, too. The bottom row includes an
effective and easy-to-use anti-feedback switch
and the tuner switch, and a panel in the
middle that tells you what settings are currently active or if you are in program mode. I
found the tuner to be a little frustrating, but
tuners always frustrate me. It was a little too
slow to respond, and a little difficult to read
from five feet six inches away. I didnt have
an opportunity to test the anti-feedback, but
according to the manual all you have to do to

use it is turn it on. Easy is good.
The unit also includes an effects send and
return, and both 1/4" out and XLR out, which
can be used simultaneously, for example if
you want to send the 1/4" out to a guitar
amp that will act as a monitor on stage and
send the XLR out to a house board. There is
a ground lift that kicks on when both outputs
are active so you dont have any hum.
The Nitty Gritty

Now to the Images themselves. This is kind of
a hard concept to understand. Basically, these
Images blend with the sound of your guitar
and pickup to give you more of a studio-micd
tone. Its not trying to emulate any other guitars, or make your steel-string dreadnaught
sound like a nylon-string guitar. Its purpose
is simply to enhance your pickup by allowing
you to blend in the Image of what your guitar
might sound like micd in a studio.
I have an L.R. Baggs iMix pickup in my spruce
and rosewood Gallagher GA-70, so I set the
pickup blend to the saddle transducer only.
According to the manual, I need to choose the
orchestra bank, which is done by moving
the slider next to the big knob on the top row.
Now I have sixteen Images to choose from
in the orchestra bank. The manual contains
tables of all the Image banks. You choose the
type of wood your guitar is made from (cedar
or spruce and mahogany or rosewood are the
defaults), and then choose the microphone

that was used to create the Image. For an orchestra model made of spruce and rosewood,
there are five mics to choose from: a Schoeps
CMC64, a Neumann M147 and KM84, a Soundelux E47, and a Shure Beta 58A.
I decided to download some additional Images. The Aura Image Gallery software gallery
installed onto my laptop in a snap, and I was
surfing through the available Images for other
similar guitars in no time. I decided just for
the heck of it to snag a few Images from one
of Laurence Jubers guitars, in addition to a
couple other models that seemed close.
Back to the guitar again, I ran through the
models. Laurence Jubers Images sounded
great (big surprise), and I had fun switching between bypass and image to hear how
much difference there really was. It was quite
dramatic. I have to say I didnt care for several
of the Images, but thats okayits a personal
taste thing, and your guitar may sound fantastic with Images that dont work for my guitar.
Record Time
included in the initial signal chain. If you record

with a pickup and a mic, you can use the DI to
sweeten up the pickup, or you can apply the
Images after the fact. Either way, it gives you
a much bigger sound. You could even make
several copies of your pickup track and apply
different mic Images to each track, giving you a
wall of acoustic guitar type sound.
you long for the tone you get with

a mic, but have to use a pickup
onstage most of the time.
The Final Mojo
you are one of the lucky bastards that

still gets to mic your guitar on stage.
If youre looking for a way to recapture a micd

sound in a mic-unfriendly environment (which
is sadly where most of the gigs are these days)
Fishmans got you covered. Its a remarkably clever idea, and honestly the difference
between the dry signal and the Imaged
signal is very dramatic. If I have any complaints,
theyre visual: the print on the unit is very hard
to see in low light, and the knobs just have a
notch to show where theyre set, which you can
barely see even in good light. Its not just the
young folks with good eyesight buying gear!
Overall, Id say this is a versatile piece of gear
thats got a lot of potential. And according to
Chris DeMaria, Fishmans Director of Marketing, you can send your guitar to Fishman and
they will image your guitar and send it to you
on a disc. Sweet!
The Aura Spectrum DI has multiple uses in

studio
as well as onstage. It can be used to
rehuber-ad_3.5x4.8125_080201
01.02.2008
amp a dry, pre-recorded guitar, or it can be
NIK
g
H
i
14:21 Uhr
Seite 1
Buy If...
Skip If...
Rating...
4.5
ONTHEWeb
of the unit in action at
premierguitar.com
Fishman Acoustic
Amplification
Street $330
fishman.com
UBER
a
www.nikhuber-guitars.com
Borsigstr. 13 63110 Rodgau/Germany Tel.: +49 (0)6106 77 21 66

181
183
PRODUCT REVIEW
65Amps
Lil Elvis
By Steve Ouimette
Pictu
At winter NAMM this past January I had a

chance to stop by the 65Amps booth to get
a peak and a listen to the Lil Elvis, their new
1x12, 12-watt combo. As it happened, Peter
Stroud was in the booth demoing this little
gem and throwing down some ridiculously
tone-laden jams, and getting killer tone at
varying volumes courtesy of the Master
Voltage circuit. Of course weve all been
beguiled by amp demos in the past a
red: h
abin
ead/c
nfi
et co
gurati
on
great player can make you believe an old

transistor radio converted into a guitar amp
will sound fantastic with the right riffs and
attitude. Add to that the high noise floor and
ear fatigue of NAMM and its best to leave
detailed sonic judgments for a more familiar
settingin this case my home studio.
According to 65Amps, the Lil Elvis was
inspired by some lost designs from one of
the best amp designers of the early 60s.

The review unit is a 1x12 combo (also sold in
head/cab configuration) powered by a pair
of EL84s, three ECC83s and a 6CA4 rectifier. Controls are simple and to the point: a
Volume and a Tone, followed by a tremolo
circuit with knobs for Intensity and Speed (the
Intensity knob doubles as the on/off switch
when the footswitch isnt plugged in) and
finishes with a Master Voltage knob. There
are also two toggle switches on the front

panel: a Smooth mini-toggle and a Bump
On/Bump Off switch. Impedance can be set
to 16 or 8 ohms, and there are two speaker
output jacks in case you want to power an
external cab. The combo sports a Celestion
70th Anniversary G12H-30 speaker and a passive effects loop that 65Amps appropriately
labels FX loop.
While the amp isnt small, its still quite portable and not too heavy for its size. My old
Mesa MK III 1x12 combo weighed as much as
a half stack, so picking up the Lil Elvis was a
welcome change. Looking very much like the
little brother to the rest of the 65Amps line,
the amp has a black and cream color scheme,
basketweave grille, a split front and the
unmistakable vents on top front of the amp.
A nice touch is the beautifully designed and
comfortable handle that makes carrying the
amp so much easier than the typical harder
and thinner handles on some of the other
combos Ive had over the years. Who says
little things in life dont matter?
Enough of my yapping ...

Lets Boogie!
During the time I had with Lil Elvis I was
also in the midst of several recording projects that required a wide variety of guitars,
stompboxes and pickups. The first guitar I
played through it was a Les Paul Standard
that was temporarily modified (no holes
drilled!) to house a P-90 in the neck and
a mini-humbucker from an old Epiphone
Newport Baritone in the bridge. I set the
Volume and Tone controls to a conservative halfway point and kept the Master
Voltage full up. Right out of the gate the
amp showed a wonderful, gritty tone that
barked rudely with the P-90a bit dark, but
this was the neck pickup so it was expected.
Cranking up the Tone knob proved that 10
was too much for that combination, so I
backed it off to about 7 a perfect balance
of clarity and grit with just enough edge to
cut through the mix. The amp was set to
the Bump Off position, so I toggled it on.
Clearly a mid bump, it totally pushed the
tone into angrier and more authoritative territory with a punch you could feel. The Bump
toggle could easily be renamed rude and
nobody would ever be the wiser.
The next guitar I plugged in was a stock
2008 Fender American Strat. This amp loves
single-coil pickups. Back on the Bump Off
position it took me into SVR territory with
the Volume up at 7 and Tone at around 5.
Once again I was treated to great clarity,
dynamics and chime, as well as a bigness
that normally doesnt come from a 1x12

combo. Theres a lot of push in this amp
even with the Master Voltage turned down
low. Now, 65Amps claims that the Master
Voltage is neither an attenuator, power
scaler, nor a master volume, but whatever it
is it works incredibly well. Pulling the master
from full to completely counter-clockwise
basically just reduces the volume from a roar
to a whisper. Ninety-five percent of the tone
and dynamics were still intact, and its hard
to say if that five percent change came from
the volume being lower, or just the fact that
I cant accept that it sounded just as good at
the lowest setting. For years Ive been looking for the best way to reduce volume for
recording or the soundman, and dang it if
they havent figured it out. Im sold!
The third guitar was my trusty Danelectro
Hodad Baritone from the mid-90s. Three
lipstick pickups never sounded so good. I
pushed the Master back up to full and pulled
the Volume down to around 11 oclock while
turning on the tremoloinstant surf-meetsspaghetti-western! The tremolo has a nice
range of speed, from dripping-molasses slow
to cardiac-arrest fast, and the Intensity knob
can be backed down so the tremolo is barely
leaking through, which was perfect for adding
depth to the sound without calling too much
attention to the effect. In my opinion the
tremolo is one of the shining features of the
Lil Elvisand anything but an afterthought.
I engaged the Bump switch and drove the
amp harder. The way this amp moves from
clean to overdrive is a thing of beauty. Even
with the controls full-tilt you can simply roll
back the volume on any guitar and instantly
get into clean territory. And while this isnt a
modern-sounding amp or a metal amp, the
distortion effortlessly rubs elbows with both
Marshall and Vox tones and has plenty of
gain on tap for most players.
Speaking of gain, I ended up trying a variety
of pedals with the amp over the review period and found it very pedal-friendly. Perhaps
its the simple front-end design that allows
the signal to be bumped up so gracefully. It
acts very much like an older Marshall to my
ears; it doesnt get soggy with more gain
before the amp. The design exposed the true
nature of the pedals, good or bad, without
hesitation. Similarly, each different guitars
characteristics were instantly identifiable,
which is something I miss on designs that get
too complex or add unnecessary gain stages.
Pure tone is all you get.
The effects loop is simple and to the point.
If youre looking for more control over the
signal levels it may be too simple for your

needs, but I had no problems plugging in an
Echoplex EP-3, as well as several delay pedals. Some signal loss is going to happen on
a passive design but it didnt take away from
the tone, in my opinion. One feature that you
wont notice too much at lower volumes is
the Smooth switch. Basically, its a crossover
distortion removal circuit that comes into
play at louder volumes. Flip it on when the
amp is revved up and it removes the fizziness
that comes along with crossover distortion.
According to Dan Boul at 65Amps, your mic
will notice it before your ears will, so those
of us using it for recording will be happy the
switch is there.
Elvis has Left The Building

There is so much to like about this amp.
It packs a man-sized wallop in a bite-sized
package and serves up as greasy a tone as
a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich.
Killer tremolo and easy to set up, it pairs up
great with any guitar you throw at it. Top it
off with a range of tone from clean to beautiful, blooming distortion and the fact that
its pedal friendly and youve got a winner.
65Amps nailed it on the Lil Elvis. So, thank
you thank you very much.
Buy If...
you want a compact, simple amp

with complex tone at any volume.
Skip If...
channel switching and more knobs
float your boat.
Rating...
4.5
ONTHEWeb
Click here to hear sound samples
of the amp in action at
premierguitar.com
65Amps
MSRP $1850 (head); $2295 (combo)
65amps.com
185
PRODUCT REVIEW
VanAmps
Reverbamate ASR-1
and Sole-Mate
By Bob Goffstein
VanAmps makes amps. But they also make

spring reverb units, and gearheads that
know about them are very happy they do!
The Reverbamate Analog Spring Reverb, or
ASR-1, and the Reverbamate Sole-Mate are
compact spring reverb units that utilize analog solid-state circuitry. The ASR-1 has been
around for a few years and has gained a solid
reputation, while the Sole-Mate is a newcomer added to the line to address the specific
needs of those using amplifiers with only one

input. Both units utilize high-quality components and sport two basic controls: Dwell
varies the gain of the dry signal feeding the
springs, and Output controls the level of
the reverb signal fed to the amplifier.
There is, however, a difference in how the
reverberated signal is handled in the two
units. In the ASR-1, the reverb signal is routed
to a 1/4" output jack on the rear panel,

where it sits next to another jack that outputs
the dry signal. The Sole-Mate, on the other
hand, mixes the reverb signal with the dry
signal at the same output jack, a more commonly used routing, as found in the venerable Fender reverb tanks. Both VanAmp units
use the same model 8" Accutronics spring
unit, which is hard-mounted to the aluminum
chassis. Both units also run off a
187
Reverbamate asR-1
and sole-Mate
12V AC wall wart, but the ASR-1 also has two

internal 9V DC batteries that can be used for
power. Both chassis are covered with either a
Tweed fabric or brown, cream or black Tolex,
in addition to a host of custom colors.
Other identical features are two footswitches
on the top of the chassis: one for switching
the reverb on and off (doesnt affect the dry
signal) and one labeled Aux, which allows
a cable to run from the footswitch jack of a
built-in effect or an amp channel switch to the
aux input jack, which allows centralized control of both parameters.
The dwell control took us from a shadow of

reverb to full-out cavernous thunder. Fender
has the surf sound locked down, partially
because of the behavior of the longer springs
mechanically, and partly because of the longer delay, so it was difficult to get what I considered an authentic surf tone. Nonetheless,
the Sole-Mate is definitely a first-rate spring
tone for everything else, and VanAmps
informs us that there is a long decay spring
tank available on special order that will bring
the performance solidly into the surf realm.
plugging In
The ASR-1 solved the tone problem by its

split output. Using a two-channel amp, I
could adjust reverb tone to taste using the
EQ of the dedicated reverb channel. The unit
itself seemed to have higher output than the
Sole-Mate, and it had a bit of a tendency to
feedback and overdrive the amp at ridiculously high settings. It was, however, nice to be
able to place a distortion device on the clean
output and not have to deal with the questionable sonic qualities of a distorted reverb.
What was really cool was using a separate
amp for the reverb signal and putting some
space between the two amps, which yielded
reverbzilla in stereo.
I tried out the Sole-Mate first and found it to be

very sweet sounding. The delay was of medium
duration and the tail had that full, sustained
sound that seems to be the hallmark of the great
spring units. I thought the tails sounded especially good in the higher ranges, a place where
some reverbs sound a bit harsh. I also found
the overall sound a bit on the dark side, which
wasnt bad, but I found myself wishing for a bit
more tone controlnot a biggie, though.
The obvious comparison question is VanAmps

vs. Fender. For my money, Im taking the Van.
It fits in my gig bag and has all the sweet
reverb I need. If youre a surfer dude, get the
Fender and plug her into your dual Showman
with JBLs. The Reverbmates shortcomings
were few, but included the lack of a tone
control on the Sole-Mate, and no lights on
the ASR-1. Both Van units boinged when
The ASR-1 is not useable with amps with a

single input jack, and efforts to Y-cord the
outputs together creates a dangerous feedback loop. It is, however, useable with one
channel amps that have two inputs by using
the output control to bring the reverb signal
up to desired level in the mix. The Sole-Mate
was created for those amps with a single input
jack. Another difference between the two units
is that the Sole-Mate has a reverb status light
and a power light, while the ASR-1 does not.
hit or dropped, but nowhere near as bad as

the Fender units. Dont plan on doing a lot of
stomping, and, in fact, place the unit where it
will be safe from trauma and vibration. More
soul and less sole.
Buy If...
you want to add great-sounding reverb
to your non-reverb amp.
Skip If...
you dont use, or already have, good
reverb sounds; or if you play surf music.
Rating...
4.5
ONTHEWeb
of the units in action at
premierguitar.com
VanAmps, llC
Street $285
VanAmps.com
DOUBLE UP.
STRAP IT ON.
GO PLAY.
TAKE THE TOUR // WWW.MONOCASE.COM // 415.830.5522
PRODUCT REVIEW
Thurston Moore
Lee Ranaldo
Fender
Sonic Youth
Signature
Jazzmasters
By Jordan Wagner
191
Sonic Youth
Signature Jazzmasters
Going through my teens and early 20s listening to and reading about Sonic Youth, I never
wouldve figured in a million years that theyd
have their own signature guitars. Not surprisingly, most of the people I know have had the
same reaction. The band is notorious for their
DIY approach to their toolsnamely, their
guitars and effects pedals. Both Lee Ranaldo
and Thurston Moore have waved the flag of
the Fender Jazzmaster for decades now, while
also constantly trying to reinvent it by modifying the ones in their collections.
The end result, combined with an unorthodox

approach to guitar playing and song writing, has been the illustrious Sonic Youth, a
group that has made its mark in history as
one of the most distinctive rock bands of all
time. The out-of-the-box approach has never
been in their repertoire. Thus, when Fender
announced a pair of signature Jazzmasters (or
Jazzblasters, as Ranaldos and Moores personal guitars are so aptly named), I was really
excited to get a hold of them and put them
through their paces. I certainly didnt expect
the stripped-down approach Fender took, but

after much jamming and experimenting,
I find Im as impressed with their capabilities
as I am with their sparse accoutrements.
If Looks Could Kill

Finished in a striking deep transparent blue,
the Lee Ranaldo Jazzmaster is the humbuckerequipped instrument of the pair. The finish is
sealed in a satin nitrocellulose lacquer, which
allows the detailed grain of the alder body to
shine through in a very striking fashion. The
Thurston Moore Jazzmaster shares many of the
same traits as the Lee Ranaldo model, except
that it has a transparent forest green finish (and
a few other differences Ill cover later). Visually,
the guitars are very distinct from the other
Jazzmaster models Fender has offered. All of
the complex roller knobs have been removed,
leaving a lone Volume knob and a 3-way pickup
selector switch, which is mounted to a classy
black anodized aluminum pickguard. Following
suit with the body textures, the necks are nonglossy (sure to please players with a faster touch)
and are capped off with black satin headstocks.
Lean, But Very Mean
Sure, we
have those
in stock.
After looking the guitars over, what surprised

me most was how simple and reduced to
essentials they are. For a band thats legendary for ripping out electronics and putting
in odd circuits and wiring, the Sonic Youth
Signature Jazzmasters are shockingly uncomplicated. However, I found after searching for
some photos of their vintage Jazzmasters that
theyve experimented with this setup before.
I found several pictures of beaten and wellworn models that theyve modified with a very
similar wiring scheme. Still, I was a little disappointed that the traditional Jazzmaster layout
wasnt offered, because those extra controls
provide some very dynamic tones that only the
Jazzmaster is capable of. After plugging them
in, however, my doubts faded and I realized
they were quickly becoming my new favorite
Fender production models.
Thurston Moore Jazzmaster
Chuck Levins
WASHINGTON MUSIC CENTER

11151 Veirs Mill Road, Wheaton, Maryland 301-946-8808 www.chucklevins.com
Quite a few players out there understand that

a well-built electric guitar will resonate well
without being plugged in. From striking a
note to chording, an electric guitar with solid
construction will transfer noticeable vibrations,
indicating good coupling and tight manufacture. The Thurston Moore model surprised
me in this way; its unplugged response felt
very nice. Jazzmasters arent really known for
their sustain, but if this model is any indicator,
I beg to differ. A lot of this probably has to do

with the fact that it features an Adjusto-Matic
bridge, which has an advantage over a traditional Jazzmaster bridge due to the added
coupling to the body. Some Jazzmaster enthusiasts might scoff at this change, but I think its
an improvement, as it also helps tuning stability, which Im sure was a concern on account of
Thurstons often very aggressive style.
Moore Jazzmaster were still rather evident.

The effect was nullified through the Super Bass
very well, and I decided that I really liked the
tone through darker amps of similar nature. The
Moore model is also outfitted with the same
vintage Jazzmaster vibrato system thats present on all of the American standard models,
and it stayed in tune quite well even after some
heavy use with reverb-soaked volume swells.
almost sold on both of these instruments for

their necks alone. They feel flat-out fantastic.
Theyre nothing like what Im used to, but as
the saying goes, I could definitely get used
to this. Their balance is very good, especially considering how long they are, and the
smoothness of their feel is, for lack of a better way to describe it, to die for.
I ran the instrument through its paces with a

1965 Fender Bandmaster and a 1973 Marshall
Super Bass half-stack with a Bogner 4x12
cabinet. The Thurston Moore model features
Seymour Duncan Antiquity II Jazzmaster pickups, which have a great, powerful punch and
glassy highs. With the Bandmaster set to a
chimey clean, the Moore Jazzblaster roared
with complete authority. I didnt expect it to
sound so aggressive, so it was quite a surprise.
Every note through every chord rang out clear
and full, almost too clear at times. I found
myself taming it by keeping the Volume knob
on the guitar down to about 7, as the pickups were very sensitive to whatever type of
attack that I employed. With a light overdrive,
the instrument delivered a somewhat piercing high end. Even after adjusting the amp to
compensate, the inherent stinging highs of the
Lee Ranaldo Jazzmaster
One of the best things about my job is that

not only do I get to help inform fellow guitarists about gear, but I get to learn about
it as well. In the case of the Sonic Youth
Jazzmasters, it seems that constant experimentation and devotion can lead to the discovery that the simplest approach is often
the best. The necks are great, the pickup
combinations are highly distinct and the
playability of both is enormous. Each model
comes with a hardshell case and some great
case candy: a cable, strap, a magazine with
tales from their guitar techs over the years,
and a nifty sticker sheet with designs from
the guitarists. For those searching for a great,
stripped-down Jazzmaster (or just a solid
Fender in general), the Sonic Youth Signature
Jazzmasters are a refreshing alternative.
Thurston Moore
Buy If...
youre looking for a Jazzmaster-onsteroids tone, complete with an outstanding neck and simple controls.
Skip If...
youre sensitive to highs and would
prefer a tone control to tame it.
Rating...
4.0
ONTHEWeb
of the guitars in action at
premierguitar.com
Fender
MSRP $1880
fender.com/sonicyouth
The Moore models more guttural (but still

clear) sounding twin, the Ranaldo Jazzmaster,
comes equipped with Fender Wide Range
humbucking pickups which Seth Lover developed in the early 1970s as Fenders answer
to the Gibson humbucker (which was also
designed by Lover). These pickups actually
have quite a following among certain players
who covet their unique tone and response.
Ranaldos model comes with re-voiced versions of these famed pickups, featuring an
Alnico magnet instead of the original CuNiFe
or Ceramic magnets (which at one time were
installed in some Japanese Fenders). It also
features an American Vintage Jazzmaster
vibrato setup, but with a Mustang bridge
instead of an Adjusto-matic one. I plugged
the Ranaldo Jazzblaster into a Vox Night Train
head (into a Bogner 4x12 cab) and into the
aforementioned 1965 Fender Bandmaster.
Immediately, the differences between it and
the Moore model were noticeable. Beyond
the obvious differences between Jazzmaster
and humbucking pickups, the re-voiced
Fenders are distinctly hot. They drove both
amps almost as easily as my 2006 Gibson
Flying V, but with much more midrange and
clarity. What was fascinating was their ability to keep a solid, overdriven tone without
becoming mushy or flat. It was almost as
if I were playing with a pair of hot P-90s,
but with more muscle in the low mids (and
no hum, of course). Like the Moore, the
response was even all across the fretboard
with no dead notes, but with even more sustain and power. To put it simply, I really liked
the Thurston Moore Jazzblaster for its great
clean tone and excellent tuning stability, but I
really, really liked the Lee Ranaldo Jazzmaster
for having all of that, and more. We get some
very exceptional guitars at PG, and this one
has been harder to put down than most.
Another aspect of the Sonic Youth Signature
Jazzmasters I feel obliged to mention is
their necks. Ive always loved Jazzmasters
for their distinctive tones and versatility, but
Ive always been a Les Paul type of guyI
like fat, beefy necks with a little bit more
weight on my shoulder. That being said, I was
The Final Mojo
Lee Ranaldo
Buy If...
youre looking for a Jazzmaster with

a fantastic neck, and humbucking
tones with great cut and balance.
Skip If...
you just absolutely have to have a
tone control.
Rating...
4.5
ONTHEWeb
of the guitars in action at
premierguitar.com
Fender
MSRP $1880
fender.com/sonicyouth
193
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12:21
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View the full range of Vintage guitars online at:
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PRODUCT REVIEW
Hanson
Chicagoan
By Michael Ross
In case you havent heard, Summer NAMM was a little

slow this year, with many of the big manufacturers opting to stay home. Though they were missed, the good
news was that smaller, newer manufacturers who might
ordinarily have been overshadowed by the big boys
were able to come to the fore. At any normal winter
NAMM or busier summer session I might easily have
missed the small Hanson Guitars booth off to the side
of the show floorand that would have been a pity.
Fortunately, I had time to discover them.
Heres what I learned: despite being new a brand
name, the Hanson folks were far from newbies to
the guitar manufacturing biz. In addition to producing pickups for guitar and bass, they have spent a
decade behind the scenes creating and manufacturing
boutique and mid-priced instruments for others. And
though most of the Hanson line consists of solidbodies
reminiscent of cool European vintage guitars, the one
that caught my eye was a semi-hollowbody instrument
with a distinctly American look to go with its name
the Chicagoan.
Sweet Home Chicagoan

The mini-humbucker-equipped Chicagoan recalls an
Epiphone Riviera in some respects, but the fingernail
inlays set into the ebony fingerboard combine with the
headstock shape, gold hardware, and gold pickguard to
imply some heavy Gretsch White Falcon vibes (or more
specifically the rare Black Falcon). The double-bound
maple body is about as thick as a Gibson ES-335 and
constructed similarly with a center block and hollow
wings. the guitar is painted a subtle black sparkle, as
are its bound maple neck and headstock.
The Chicagoans design, gold appointments and
binding make for a classy look, but unfortunately the
design of the H logo on the pickguard and the
Hanson name printed on the cool, elongated trussrod cover seem at odds with this otherwise upscale
appearancethey look like they would be more at
home on a power tool, or a toy. That said, the

Chicagoan would make a striking appearance
on any stage. The finish work is largely very
good, but a few indicators of the lower price
point include pinstriping that is a tad uneven
and some acoustic buzzing in the lower
fret positions. The instruments playability,
however, is uncompromised. None of the
acoustic buzzing came through the amp,
nor did the medium jumbos fret out while
bending anywhere on the neckeven with
the factory setup extremely low. I raised the
action a bit to my preference and found that
it improved the Hansons already significant
ring and sustain.
The Chicagoans body slopes off enough to
support the Bigsby B6 that was installed on
the one I tried at the show, but the review
model came with a B7. The B6 has no extra
tension bar to hold the strings down. The folks
at Hanson realized that some players might
prefer .009 sets of strings, and the low E in
these sets might jump the roller bridge with
hard playing, so they ultimately opted for the
B7 with the string tension bar for the production model. I always found that the B6 rocks
more easily and stays in tune better, but the
B7s extra tension across the bridge does aid
sustain. The .010 strings on the B7-equipped
production/review model remained firmly in
their saddles, as well as staying surprisingly in
tunewhether bending notes or vibrating the
arm. This is a tribute to a well-cut nut with a
little graphite lubrication applied.
In general, the Hanson was a joy to play. The
neck is wide enough to make chording easy,
yet it carries a hefty front-to-back that fills the
hand. The frets are high enough to facilitate
bending even with the low factory action, and
their rounded crowns facilitated jazzy slipping
and sliding into notes.
Mini Buckers, Major tone

Whether plugging the Chicagoan into a
Reverend Hellhound or Orange Tiny Terror,
it was easy to hear the results of Hansons
pickup-making experience. Mini-humbuckers
can often have a slightly brittle sound, but
these were warm as a Southern summers
evening. Through a Hellhound dialed to a
clean setting, the neck pickup offered up
everything from a rich darkness suitable for
traditional jazz, to a more edged fatness
ideal for blues and funk solos. The bridge
pickup sports too much midrange to be called
twangy. It sits in a very useful place between
single-coil bite and humbucking beefhigher
in the midrange spectrum than a P-90 but with
comparable girth.
Driving the Tiny Terror, it served up everything from meaty but sharp R&B chunks,
to classic 60s British solos. The Chicagoan
cleans up quickly when backing off the guitars volume knob, with the high end dropping off precipitously at the first hint of a
turn. Some players use this treble loss, never
turning their guitars volume up full and setting their amps accordingly. They feel that
this takes any harshness out of the sound.
Others use the instrument with the knobs
full up and lower their volume with a volume
pedal, retaining the full high end. On a guitar like the Chicagoanwith separate Tone
and Volume knobs for each pickupa pedal
helps maintain a consistent balance between
the pickups when both are on, but set to
different levels. The Hanson responded well
to both applications, but some might prefer
pots that didnt drain quite so much high end
when turned down, especially since the highs
on these pickups are so pleasing.
Playing with the tone controls revealed a nice,
throaty voicing. Adjusting the neck pickup tone
through a clean setting on the Reverend added
mellowness while never descending into murk.
The bridge pickup tone control seemed to kick
in about halfway. Through the Orange with the
gain up, it added a musical treble roll-off all the
way down to a classic woman tone.
the price, all while looking great on stage. If

I quibble about the Chicagoans need for a
classier logo, its only because this cool guitar
deserves one.
Buy If...
you want a high-style semi-hollowbody at a low price.
Skip If...
your guitar body must be solid.
Rating...
4.0
ONTHEWeb
Click here to share your
comments and ratings at
premierguitar.com
The Final Mojo

The Hanson Chicagoan is a professional
instrument that offers a wide range of character-filled tones for jazz, roots, blues, alternative and even Queens of the Stone Age- or
Racontuers-type rock. In terms of sound
and playability, it will get you within hailing
distance of instruments asking three times
hanson Guitars
MSRP $1160 (Bigsby);
$1060 (hardtail)
hansonguitars.com
197
WIN a Dual
Terror
from
ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN AT
PremierGuitar.com
Read full rules at www.premierguitar.com.
NEW PRODUCTS
TAylOR 35Th ANNIVERSARy lIMITED EDITION MODElS
This year, Taylor Guitars is set to commemorate its 35th anniversary with its
most eclectic collection of limited edition guitars to date. From new models to
premium versions of existing guitars featuring exotic grades of wood, the company will be crafting small quantities of each to celebrate. The first series of
anniversary guitars to be released highlights the companys electric line, offering exotic tops in the SolidBody XXXV-SB-K (koa) and the XXXV-SB-QM (quilted maple); and in the semi-hollowbody T3 as the XXXV-T3-C (cocobolo) and
XXXV-T3-K (koa). Both SolidBody anniversary models feature a body crafted
from mahogany, a sloping venetian cutaway, and a single fretboard
inlay of "35" between the 11th and 12th frets. Complete with an
ultra-adjustable bridge, easy-rolling control knobs and a shaded
edgeburst, these guitars come ready to rock with Taylors Style 1
HD (high-definition) pickups for pure electric power.
The 35th Anniversary edition of the T3 gives players a choice of
fiery-orange colored cocobolo (XXXV-T3-C) or rich, sparkling koa
(XXXV-T3-K). These limited edition models feature bodies and
necks crafted from sapele, ebony peghead overlays, chrome hardware and will feature the "35" anniversary inlay between the 11th
and 12th frets. Introduced earlier this year, the T3 features Taylors
Style 2 HD pickups, three-way pickup switching, and coil-splitting
that gives players a spectrum of humbucker and single coil
sounds in one guitar. On the T3/B, an authentic Bigsby vibrato
tailpiece is paired with a roller bridge for smooth functionality and
an added dimension of sound. All 35th Anniversary models,
including those yet to be announced, are expected to be
available in North America in early fall and internationally in winter.
On the acoustic side, Taylor is introducing its first-ever
9-string model (XXXV-9), designed for players who
crave the shimmer of a 12-string but dont want the
full 12-string sound. The 9-string configuration
the D and G strings are doubled an octave apart,
while the B is simply doubled has long been
a staple on the Nashville session scene. The
XXXV-9 is a cutaway GS with a mahogany back
and sides, a Sitka spruce top, Indian rosewood
binding, a commemorative 35th Anniversary fretboard inlay, and the Expression System pickup.
All 35th Anniversary models, including those yet to
be announced, are expected to be available in North
America in early fall and internationally in winter.
MSRP $3798$3998
taylorguitars.com/guitars/limiteds/35thAnniversary/
SEyMOUR DUNcAN hOT STAck PlUS FOR STRAT

Like Duncans Classic Stack Plus pickup, the Hot Stack Plus uses
a top coil that is significantly larger than the bottom coil. This,
together with the staggered, sand-cast Alnico 5 pole pieces
and the custom-wound high-output coil, can deliver a hot and
thick Strat tone. The top coil is shielded with a flux transfer
plate, which is designed to attract hum and inject it into the
much smaller bottom coil, whose sole purpose is to eliminate
the hum. Simply put, the top coil gets the tone and the bottom
coil kills the hum. In addition to the unique design, Duncan uses
a Helmholtz coil, a device designed for maximum hum cancellation. Duncan engineers are able to test the effectiveness of
the Helmholtz coil through its magnetic field that accurately
simulates the noise conditions found in a typical performance
environment. This unique magnetic structure allows it to achieve
extraordinarily low levels of 60-cycle hum.
MSRP $110
seymourduncan.com
cOOPERSTAND
Cooperstand addresses the typical stringed instrument support device in a non-typical way. This new
stand is a great choice for the performing musician
looking for a professional stand that securely supports acoustic or electric guitar, bass, banjo, or mandolin. It is full-size, and features function, compatibility, flexibility, portability, good looks, and versatility.
It opens and closes with one hand, weighs only 16
oz., fits easily in a guitar case and features non-slip
neoprene padding to protect your instrument and
hold it in place.
MSRP $89.95
cooperstand.com
201
NEW PRODUCTS
hAGSTROM TREMAR SERIES
VAlVETRAIN TRENTON AND SAVANNAh

The latest additions to ValveTrain Amplifications Revolution Series, the Trenton
and Savannah, have arrived, along with two new Revolution Series extension cabs.
All of the major components including cabinet, transformers, speakers, board and
chassis are made in America, and the amps are hand-wired in Sorrento, FL. Both
of the combos feature Eminence Wizard 12" speakers. The Revolution 1x12 is a
portable, open-back cabinet housing an Eminence Wizard 12" speaker at 8 ohms,
and the Revolution 2x10 is a convertible-back cabinet (open or closed) loaded with
Eminence Ramrod 10" speakers wired at 4 ohms.
The cathode-biased Trenton is inspired by the simplicity of the amp designs of the
1960s and boasts four distinct switchable voices through its hand-wired all-tube circuit. The High/Low Power switchable output stage delivers 16W of dual-6V6 power
or a studio-ready 6W. The Raw switch disengages the early-60s blackface-era tone
controls and takes you back to vintage tweed territory. The fixed-bias Savannah features
hand-wired, tweed-inspired voicing and all-tube tremolo. Controls are the essence of simple: Volume and Tone. The remote footswitch and the Speed and Depth knobs take the
tremolo from a soft chorus-like effect all the way to Crimson & Clover. The Savannah
produces 16W of shimmering clean to vintage tweed-inspired crunch.
Hagstrom is now shipping the Tremar Series of

electric guitars. Featuring a distinctive vibrato
bar, tailpiece, and matching hardware, the new
Tremar series is perfectly suited for musicians
who play with a vintage feel, and subtle vibratos
that range from smooth to tremulous. A number
of Hagstroms classic vintage models have been
Tremarized for the new Tremar line, including
the Viking, Viking Deluxe (pictured), Deluxe-F,
Super Swede, Swede, and HJ-500 guitars.
Complete with the exclusive H-Expander truss
rod, resinator fretboard, and vintage voiced
pickups, Tremar guitars provide transcendent
tone and a superb playing experience.
Street $814 (Viking Deluxe)

hagstromguitars.com
Street $999 (combo); $799 (head);

$499 (1x12 cab); $649 (2x10 cab)
valvetrainamps.com
PRS SIGNATURE cABlES

PRS Guitars and Bond Music Research are introducing the PRS Signature Series Cables. In line with Paul Reed
Smiths quest for uncompromising tone and meticulous quality, the new PRS Signature Series Cable line includes
guitar and speaker cables manufactured to the most exacting specifications. These premiere cables make an ideal
choice for performing musicians and vocalistsboth onstage and in the recording studio. The instrument cables are
available in a variety of lengths ranging from 10' to 25' and ship in both standard 1/4" phone plug and right angle
phone plug versions. Speaker cables are available in 3', 6', 10' and 20' lengths.
PRS Signature Series Cable employs an ultra low capacitance design ideal for use in critical audio applications, and they contain ultra-pure, silver-plated and oxygen-free copper elements (with the exception of speaker cables). This design helps counteract conductor saturation, improves signal transmission, and delivers vast, unimpeded high frequency performance with a rich, full-sounding low end versus copper-only cable designs. Incorporating
gold plated Swiss-made Neutrik connectors, the new PRS Signature Series instrument cable also uses close-lapped oxygen-free copper spiral shielding to provide maximum rejection of radio frequency interference and other noises. Similarly, this construction provides outstanding durability on the
road. Polyethylene foam insulation ensures a low dielectric constantproviding extremely low handling noise while retaining the flexibility required for
on-stage use. PRS Signature Series Cables are manufactured from the finest materials by noted UK-based cable stalwart Van Damme and distributed
by Bond Music Research.
MSRP $49.95$64.95 (instrument cable); $49.95$89.95 (speaker cable)

prscable.com
the Straight Truth About Pickups by Jason Lollar

The magic found in some (but not all) classic vintage pickups
was created by accident. Dont let anyone tell you different. And
over time, some pretty stellar accidents happened. The only way
to recreate that magic is to study more than a few exceptional
examples of all the classic pickup types, while acquiring a
thorough understanding of exactly what materials were used
and precisely how each pickup was constructed and wound. Only
then is the magic repeatable, if you are willing to spend the time
and money required to chase the dragon. I am.
I personally design and wind over 30 different pickup models,
including all the vintage classics, many obscure works of art
known only to lap and pedal steel players like Robert Randolph,
and even a few of my own designs that never existed in the past.
I invite you to visit our website for sound clips, videos and
current product information, or call us for a free product
highlight brochure.
Lollar Guitars PO Box 2450 Vashon Island, WA 98070 (206) 463-9838 www.lollarguitars.com
203
GEAR SEARCH GALLERY
PedaLBoaRd,
CiRCa 1981
Foxx Tone Machine
Ampeg Scrambler
While legend has it that only 100 of these were
produced by Ampeg, serial numbers ranging from
#204#2117 have been reported. If you were
among the lucky few to play one of these then
you know the pseudo-ring modulation effects have
to be played to be believed.
H.G. Wells, eat your heart outweve got

your time machine right here. This month,
were using Gear Search Gallery to take you
back to the early 80s to recreate a pedalboard from the days of yore. Remember that
pedal you sold back in high school to pay
for dinner with whats-her-name? Well, Gear
Search can make that happy reunion with

your favorite stompbox possible.
Thanks to Ben and Sam at Southside Music in
Brooklyn, NY, for listing these pedals on Gear
Search. Whether youre looking for a vintage
piece or a modern take on a classic, chances
First produced in 1971, the Foxx

Tone Machine has been used by
a range of artists from Beck to
Parliament Funkadelic to ZZ Top. Its
a vintage fuzz thats now back in production after decades off the marketbut this is an original model.
are its on Gear Search. There are more than

47,000 pieces of gear listed, including some
of the hardest-to-find gear in the world.
Click here to enter the

WaBaC Machine!
Tycobrahe Octavia
Rumors abound whether the
circuitry in the Tycobrahe
Octavia was copied from the
original Roger Mayer unit, but its
become a legend in its own right.
Ibanez OD-855
Overdrive II
The venerable TS-808
Tubescreamers older brother,
the Overdrive II, has a similar
casing and circuit board, but a
harsher, fuzzier sound.
Ibanez AD-80 Analog Delay

From the same series as the TS-808, the AD-80
was Ibanez first analog delay. The pedal was
produced from 1979 to 1981, and was (oddly)
designed for a +18-volt power cord.
205
e
t
i
L
Half the weight

of an original
Shubb Capo!
info@shubb.com www.shubb.com
707-843-4068
GUITAR OF THE MONTH
1978 Gibson The Paul

(Standard)
In 1978 Gibson decided to make a versatile, playable, solid
guitar to compete with less expensive Strats and Teles. They
didnt introduce The Paul a Deluxe and Standard until
1979, and production ran until 1982. The guitar pictured here
is all original, and plays like buttah! It was the 45th guitar
made on Oct. 10, 1978 at the Nashville, TN factory. The body
is walnut with a natural finish, exposed humbuckers, ebony
fretboard and Tune-o-matic bridge/stop tailpiece.
The Paul series of guitars have recently been rediscovered by
guitarists looking for a vintage vibe, great tone and playability,
but with a gig-friendly price and durability.
Guitar courtesy of Byrn Paul.
209
Responds to every
nuance of your playing
without limits
A sonic palette as broad
as your dreams
Relentless stability
Custom built to order
CUUOM GUITAA
251 W. 30th ST NYC 10001

212 869 2396 peekamoose.com
Optical Compressor
& Clean Boost
www.strymon.net
MODERN BUILDER VAULT
Eric Joseph
Electric Guitars
Though he has over 40 years experience as an

artist, designer and teacher, Eric Joseph has
been building guitars for the last five years, and
he has spent much of that time honing his personal commitment to guitar design, research
and development. Eric Joseph guitars are
built with exotic domestic and imported wood
species from sustainable sources, resulting in
unconventional and stunning wood pairings.
Joseph says, A well-made, handcrafted guitar

can be played and enjoyed for more than the
lifetime of the original owner. I cant think of a
more worthy legacy for my work than that.
The 25" scale set neck is hand-carved African

anegre with super choice South American
ziricote fingerboard and African wenge headstock cover plates.
Trem 2
The Eric Joseph Trem2 features American
black walnut, black cherry and birdseye
maple top, with a Honduran mahogany back.
The guitar is loaded with Mosrite pickups

(built to vintage specs), and features chromeplated hardware, a Bixby B5 vibrato unit and
a Wilkinson Roller Bridge.
Panamanian Cocobolo
The Eric Joseph Panamanian Cocobolo is a
solidbody with a bookmatched Panamanian
cocobolo top, and an Australian lacewood
back. The center of the body is curly cherry
(American). The guitars African anegre neck
is 25 " scale, quartersawn and features a
low profile for easy playing and a fretboard
made from Macassar ebony.
The guitar also features a camel bone nut,

ziricote headstock cover plate, DiMarzio
Cruiser DP186W humbuckers and push-pull
tone controls.
Mexican cocobolo top. The 25-1/2" scale neck

is hand-carved from black walnut and topped
with an East Indian rosewood fretboard.
ericjosephelectricguitars.com
Mexican Cocobolo
The Eric Joseph Mexican Cocobolo features
a bookmatched and chambered curly cherry
body with a highly-figured, bookmatched
213
ThaT
Frickin
Pedal
rocks
Boiling Point
Overdrive / Boost
SEE THE VIDEO AT WWW.ROCKBOX.COM 408-287-4020
In addition to bringing you unique content each month, we enjoying pointing you in the general direction of
some meaty gear conversations that take place at The Gear Page. Thats where you can look for tips on mod
projects, lurk within discussions about vintage amps or hurl yourself into a conversation about the pros and cons
of a particular boutique gear maker. Whatever it is youre looking for, if it involves gear, we suspect youll find it.
Below is our latest fly-on-the-wall sampling of threads from the Gear Page.
Guitar rooms... need ideas

and pics
Jmintzer: LOL!
Playing 8th notes 3+3+2 across the strings (see

the crosspicking link) sound like 3+3+2 if you
pick them DDUDDUDU or DUUDUUDU rather
than DUDU- think 12312312 rather than 121212.
DFBurst: Well, we are moving to the suburbs,

and I finally will have a music room. I need some
ideas on how to hang/display guitars...room
acoustic recommendations...carpet vs. tile vs.
wood for flooring.
I want it to feel warm, cozy, hip, but still coffee
shop-like. I might display framed and matted
classic album covers and some other tasteful
music memorabilia.
Playing odd figures like 5s and 7s; the new

one likes to get a down, so a 5 might be 3+2
DUDDU DUDDU or 2+3, DUDUD DUDUD.
I just finished my guitar
room last Spring. The
slat-board and hangers
are from String Swing...
(P.S. Thats Ron Thorn hard at work in my basement...)
Any help is appreciated...
rrhea: My room is not the

fanciest, but you must include
a work bench. I cannot tell
you how much I have enjoyed
mine and it makes doing
everything (even if you only
change your strings) much
easier and safer.
Heres the other
side of the
room. Simple
and humble.
dougk: Dont confine yourself, forget what

your wife may think, you need to hang guitars in
EVERY room! No music room... music house!!
Jeffj:
Jackaroo: Just a few pics from a recent hang

at my place with our own Ubershall.
jazzandmetal?: Paging Jmintzer and

George Johnson.
Alternate picking: how

strict to be?
5E3: I alternate pick whenever needed, most
of the time without even thinking about it. I
imagine most players do the same.
Well I recently started working on a speed
picking lesson/exercise and the instructor
preaches a very strict down-up down-up picking
motion. I found out that when moving from
string to string I have a bad habit of breaking
the down-up pattern. For example, my last pick
on the D string was down, and as I move to the
G string I should be using an up pick, but have
a tendency to use another down pick. This is
turning out to be a very difficult to break habit
Now I know this sounds quite trivial, but Im
wondering how important is it to keep in
the strict pattern or down-up down-up when
changing strings? If you are counting time in
your head, then down is 1, up is 2, etc., and
keeping that straight may matter.
Thanks for your thoughts on this.
Mandoboy: It really depends on what

you are going for, articulation-wise. Alternate
picking is an excellent (and difficult at first)
method of approaching playing, but it can be
limiting as a one-size-fits-all approach. There
are times when economy picking, crosspicking,
sweep picking all have their place if you get the
desired results sonically.
It depends very much on how you want the

line to sound. No doubt that alternate picking
produces good, smooth results, and when you
master it, it allows you to play without worrying
about what your right hand is doing, and
focusing on the left hand, or looking out at the
audience (for your parole officer, etc.)
For certain things like Chuck Berry intros,
alternate picking sounds weaker (read: lame!)
than using all downstrokes (also very effective in
other situations!)
Articulation is something wind, brass and string
players obsess over, and its worth thinking
about on plectrum instruments too.
Poppa Stoppa: I think that strict dududu

is incredibly important for developing an
advanced time feel. Its all about developing
the movement of your hand/pick into a thing of
wonder & beauty, timing-wise.
Of course there are times when you have to
do something else just to be able to play a
line at speed or whatever, but if youre not
automatically doing it wherever possible your
timing will suffer.
Snap: Even John Petrucci uses economy

picking sometimes, so it cant be all that bad
for your technique.
Mandoboy: Tal Farlow and Tony Rice are two
examples of non-alternate pickers who dont
seem to have much problem with time, groove,
or facility (not to mention ideas)
spencerbk: Economy picking is not
necessarily a bad habit. Jack Zucker (who
posts here) wrote an entire book making
a disciplined study of it. Sheets of Sound highly recommended.
Make sure you have an electronic tuner and

youre in tune.
It takes practice to economy pick well and it

takes practice to alternate pick well. I have found
it was worth the effort to get competent at both.
blhm84: Ive always found that in great
TGPs Official Tele Love

Page Part II
Mac Daddy 355: This thread is about
honoringpraisingthe Telecaster Guitar.
Dont be threatened
by my old thing
enjoyshow what
you got! All Teles are
welcome!
Brian Krashpad:
Heres Blondie in
action:
Tallhorses: One
of Daves 54 relics in
action!
55 Esquire relic...
52 Namm Keef Relic!
George Johnson:
BarneyFife:
CDaughtry: Can I
sneak my 61 Esquire
into this Tele thread?
How can I ace this audition?

smallbutmighty: I have an audition this
Sunday. The process started w/ 24 guitarists, and
is now down to four - me and three other guys.
This band is full of some great people that have
played w/ some fairly high-profile acts in the
past. They currently play the casino scene here in
the PNW....disco, funk tunes.
Dont use too much gain or distortion, and dont

stick out to much on songs where the guitar
is really a background instrument. If they give
you a solo, dont nut all over the rehearsal area
(unless its a song where you need to, like Billie
Jean or something).
Just nail your parts, and really play the role that
a guitar plays in bands like this.
Heartbreaker - Pat Benetar

Bad Girls - Donna Summer
When a Man Loves a Woman - Michael Bolton
Celebration - Kool & the Gang
Harryjmic: Play the style of the music the

tune is. For example - dont play a heavy metal
solo over a country tune, you probably already
know this but some dont get it.
If I get it, this would be the biggest act Ive

ever played with. I really want to do well, so Im
looking for any suggestions, tips, etc anyone
might have for me.
Semi-hollowbody:
crzyfngers: practice, practice, practice.
Now I think its the subtle things, like how well

you get along, how easy going or team player
esque you seem to be, how into the music you
are...not only should you play well (which you
already have if you beat out 20 others) but make
it obvious that you are enjoying yourself and
playing with the band, show NO ego...
Phil M: I know it sounds obvious, but this.
Good luck, man. I mean it!
TNJ: What he said. Plus...show up on time and

play nice with the other kids. And...above all,
DONT SUCK. Good luck.
GCDEF: Really, really know the songs well. A
lot of people come to auditions sort of knowing
songs, but the ones that impress me are the
ones that know the subtle details.
But I think there are more subtle things as well

that will impress a band such as this. Volume
control and good use of dynamics (this may be
hard to judge if you are auditioning without any
other instruments, but I dont see why this would
be the case).
Weve all been give four songs to have ready

by Sunday:
Also, just be a good dude to be around.

Show up on time, set up quickly and be ready
to go, be friendly and engaging but not
overly Guy Smiley...
esoteric pete: yay!
cover/party bands, the number one thing that

will impress them obviously is what was stated
above: that you know all the parts backwards
and forwards, and are super prepared.
If its down to you and

3 others out of 24, then obviously the 4 of
you play very well and meet the bands skill
requirements...
and what others mentioned...show up on time,

if not a bit early, set up quickly and make sure
there are no gear snafus...maybe bring a backup
guitar in case you break a string...I think these
little things are whats gonna put one above the
other three
just my $0.01
Bring good equipment in good working order.
217
Special Advertising Section
GEAR MALL
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The Year in Gear: 2009

Premier Gear Awards
As we wrap up another great year, well take you back

through the gear that surprised, wowed, delighted and
otherwise won us over.
Dweezil Zappa
The Zappa Plays Zappa leader talks about his modern
approach to a legacy of innovative music.
Bo Ramsey
The singer/songwriter, guitarist and producer speaks about
his gear and the luminaries hes shared the stage with.
PG on the Road: PRS Experience

We take you along to one of our favorite hangs, and get a
look at the newest members of the PRS lineup.
Bogus, Phony, Ersatz, Fake

Get a glimpse into the current state of counterfeiting
in the musical instrument market.
Reviews
Join us as we size up new products from Blackstar, PRS,
Blankenship, Taylor, Marshall, Tech 21, Potvin and more...
Tech 21 Boost D.L.A.

with Tap Tempo
Analog delay emulator with Tap Tempo, Triplets and Trails.
Uniquely features clean boost (up to 9dB) and full-sweep,
continuously-variable Time controls. Custom tailor digital,
vintage tape, bucket brigade delays. Designed & Manufactured in USA.
MSRP $260
tech21nyc.com
GEAR MALL
Plus, lessons, columns, and tone-oriented tips

and tricks. Check back next month, same gear
time, same gear channel!
Make sure to read our

completely FREE digital edition at:
http://digital.premierguitar.com
219
GEAR MALL
Dynasty Vintage
Brazen - a guitar built for tone, playability, and
durability. The best tone woods, best construction techniques, and finish each guitar with a
meticulous eye for detail. Grover tuners are standard, along with a Tune-o-matic bridge and a killer
Bigsby vibrato system.
Price - $619 retail ($810 w/Bigsby)

brazenguitars.com
DISTORT YOUR SOUND

NOT YOUR SET-UP!
The Planet Waves Pedal Board
Cable Kit is the ultimate solution
for custom-wiring your pedal board.
The solderless plugs connect in
seconds, creating exact lengths
easily. The kit includes 10 of cable,
10 plugs and a mini cable cutter.
MSRP $119.00
1-800-323-2746
planetwaves.com
Way Huge Electronics Angry Troll

Linear boost amplifier capable of pummeling
your amps input with up to +50dB of gain.
Two controls interact like a vintage mic pre
amp: Anger knoba 6-position rotary switch
adjusts the gain created by the Angry
Trolls op-amp, while Volume knob regulates
overall output. Heavy duty true bypass footswitch, high grade components, low noise
operationanother Way Huge classic.
Larry Alan Guitars

Celestia HB2
List price: $180.00

Street price: $119.99
wayhuge.com
MSRP $1,860.00
larryalanguitars.com
Introducing the new Celestia HB2 from Larry Alan Guitars. Stylish looks, modern features, and classic tone, designed for working guitarists. Lindy Fralin humbuckers deliver thick, rich, and
powerful tone. Customizable for each players unique personality.
The Jensen Jet 10 Tornado

Defined and Eloquent
ToneStyler Micro Pedal

The worlds best tone control, now in a pedal!
16 resonant treble cut contours. Retains midrange, harmonics.
100% pure analog tone zero noise no batteries!
For passive pickups. Made in U.S.A. 541- 708-0366
The Tornado 10 guitar speaker

with its 100 watts and neodymium magnet creates a tight,
warm low end response topped
with sparkling highs.
MSRP $210.00
jensentone.com
MSRP: $129
stellartone.com
GEAR MALL
GEAR MALL
GEARHEADS WIN!
Congratulations to Steve Tilson of Galion, OH, winner of the Martin
DC-1E giveaway, and Aaron Powell of Des Moines, IA winner of the
DBZ Croc Skin Bolero giveaway!
Pure Sixty-Four Amps

Pure Sixty-Four is changing
the musical lives of guitarists one amplifier at a time!
We specialize in creating
your favorite rig and direct
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Prices Start at $2500

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Steve poses with his new Martin at his home in Galion, OH
I absolutely love Premier Guitar Magazine, for several reasons: readability, diversity of topics, timeliness, and just plain coolness. And I
love Martin guitars, having owned them and played them on stage for
years. Unplugged, this DC-1E has as much volume as any acoustic guitar I have ever had in my hands. Plugged in, its a dream, it sounds so
real and balanced. You parking lot banjo pickers, look outIll be as
loud as you this summer! And, this guitar will undoubtedly accompany me on stage a bunch as I play both lead and rhythm in our Galion
Ohio-based rock-blues-fusion-jazz-bluegrass-country band, the Crazy
Gringos! THANK YOU, PREMIER GUITAR!!!! Steve Tilson
Solid Cables GT Series

Introducing the GT series instrument and speaker cables.
Handmade in the USA, the once piece construction,
and low capacitance design create a durable cable that
sounds great. The standard guitar cable redefinedTM .
MSRP $60
solidcables.com
"The DBZ Croc plays as good

as it looksthe feel and tone
of this instrument is great right
out of the box. Thank you
to Premier Guitar and DBZ
Guitars" Aaron D. Powell
Aaron poses with his new DBZ at
his home in Des Moines, IA
The Moog Guitar Model E1

Not a guitar synthesizer, a MIDI
guitar or an effects processor;
players are connected to The
Moog Guitar because it works its
magic on the strings themselves.
Full Sustain Mode, Controlled
Sustain Mode, Mute Mode,
Harmonic Blends and an onboard Moog Filter combine for an
intimate playing experience.
MSRP $3495
moogguitar.com
Congratulations also to George Cole of Oxnard, CA, the August

winner of a $100 Visa Gift Card from our ongoing Find the Gold
Pick Giveaway from PG. coms Gearfinder!
Visit Gearfinder at: http://www.premierguitar.com/

Magazine/Sponsors.aspx
Click here to enter for your chance to win
an Orange Dual Terror.
To enter our gear giveaways by mail, legibly hand-print your first and last name,
address, age, and day and evening phone numbers on a 3" x 5" card, and mail
to:
Sweepstakes
Gearhead Communications, LLC
Three Research Center
Marion, IA 52302
All mail-in entries must be postmarked no later than November 17, 2009.
221
ADVERTISINGIndex
Contact:
Matt Charles matt@premierguitar.com
Gary Ciocci gary@premierguitar.com
Jon Levy
jon@premierguitar.com
TO ADVERTISE IN PREMIERGuitar
Guitars/Basses
Aria Guitars www.ariausa.com
135
Benedetto Guitars www.benedettoguitars.com
6
Browns Guitar Factory www.brownsguitarfactory.com 140
Campbell American Guitars www.campbellamerican.com 201
Carlino www.carlinoguitars.com
49
C.F. Martin & Co. www.martinguitar.com
9
Charvel www.charvel.com
121
Collings www.collingsguitars.com

65
Crowhill Guitars www.crowhillguitars.com
214
Eastwood Guitars www.eastwoodguitars.com

190
EDG Guitars www.edgguitars.com
183
Epiphone Guitars www.epiphone.com

4
Ernie Ball www.music-man.com
1
EVH www.evhgear.com
41
Fender www.fender.com
11
Flaxwood Guitars www.flaxwood.com
47
G&L Guitars www.glguitars.com
101
Gary Kramer Guitars www.garykramerguitars.com
115
Godin Guitars www.godinguitars.com
139
Grosh Guitars www.groshguitars.com
96, 154
Huss & Dalton www.hussanddalton.com
183
Ibanez www.ibanez.com/prestige
27
Jarrett Guitars www.jarrettguitars.com
179
Laguna Guitars www.playlaguna.com
105
Lollar Guitars www.lollarguitars.com
203
Moog www.moogmusic.com
7
New England Custom Guitars www.newenglandcustomguitars.com 16
Nik Huber Guitars www.nikhuber-guitars.com
181
Peekamoose Custom Guitars www.peekamoose.com 210
Phoenix Guitar Company www.phoenixguitarco.com 158
PRS Guitars www.prsguitars.com
BC
Sadowsky Guitars www.sadowsky.com
178
Schecter www.schecterguitars.com
25
Sterling Guitars www.sterlingbymusicman.com
189
Stromberg Guitars www.strombergguitars.com
173
Tanglewood www.tanglewoodguitars.com
150
Taylor Guitars www.taylorguitars.com
15, 31
Vigier www.vigierguitars.com
151
Washburn www.washburn.com
29, 63
Amplifiers
65 Amps www.65amps.com
Basson Sound Equipment www.bassonsound.com
Blackstar Amplification www.blackstaramps.co.uk
Carl Martin www.carlmartin.com
Carr Amplifiers www.carramps.com
Carvin Corp. www.carvin.com

Celestion www.celestrion.com
Egnater Amps www.egnateramps.com
Engl Amps www.engl-amps.com
Fender www.fender.com/fba
Fryette www.sfdamp.com
Genz Benz www.genzbenz.com
Hayden Amps www.haydenamps.com
Hiwatt Amps www.hiwatt.com
Line 6 www.line6.com/spidervalvemkii
Mack Amps www.mackamps.com
Marshall Amplification www.marshallamps.com
Mesa Engineering www.mesaboogie.com
Mojo Musical Supply www.mojotone.com
Orange www.orangeamps.com
PRS www.prsguitars.com/amps
Randall Amplifiers www.randallamplifiers.com
Quidley Amplifiers www.quidleyamps.com
Traynor Amps www.traynoramps.com
Valve Amp USA www.valveampusa.com
VHT Amps www.vhtamp.com
VVT Amps www.vvtamps.com
173
110
123
106
168
ISBC
62
57
154
55
165
73
126
86
43
194
ISFC
7677
158
61
37
35
201
39
150
201
172
Effects/Software/Accessories
Acme Guitar Works www.acmeguitarworks.com
113
All Parts www.allparts.com
195
Amplified Parts www.amplifiedparts.com
144
Audix Microphones www.audixusa.com
199
Bare Knuckle Pickups www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk
172
Big Bends www.bigbends.com
201
Black Cat Pedals www.blackcatpedals.com
96, 116
Build Your Own Clone www.buildyourownclone.com 163
Case Brace www.casebrace.com
158
C.F. Martin & Co. www.martinstrings.com
145
Colossal Cable www.colossalcable.com
208
DAddario www.daddario.com/exp
Demeter www.demeteramps.com
Digidesign www.digidesign.com/elevenrack
Digitech www.digitech.com
Dunlop www.jimdunlop.com
Earvana www.earvana.com
Ebtech www.ebtechaudio.com
Elixir Cables www.elixircables.com
Ernie Ball www.ernieball.com
Essential Sound Products www.essentialsound.com
Fishman www.fishman.com
Fractal Audio www.fractalaudio.com
Fulltone Musical Products www.fulltone.com
George Ls www.georgels.com
Godlyke www.godlyke.com
Graph Tech www.graphtech.com
Grover Musical Products www.grotro.com
Hard Wire www.hardwirepedals.com
Hammond Manufacturing www.hammondmfg.com
JangleBox www.janglebox.com
Kayline Processing www.kayline.com
Kluson www.kluson.com
La Bella Strings www.labella.com
Lindy Fralin www.fralinpickups.com
Levys Leathers www.levysleathers.com
Lollar Guitars www.lollarguitars.com
L.R. Baggs www.lrbaggs.com
Mercury Magnetics www.mercurymagnetics.com
Mod Tone www.modtone-effects.com
Mono Case www.monocase.com
N-Tune www.ntune.com
Peterson Tuners www.petersontuners.com
Pigtronix www.pigtronix.com
Planet Waves www.planetwaves.com
Pro Co Sound www.procosound.com
Pro Stage Gear www.prostagegear.com
PRS Cables www.prscables.com
Rockbox Electronics www.rockbox.com
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Samson Technologies www.zoomfx.com
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Seymour Duncan www.seymourduncan.com
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Skull Screws www.hearos.com
Solid Rock Products www.solidrockproducts.com
Stets Bar www.stetsbar.com
Strings By Aurora www.stringsbyaurora.com
Strymon www.strymon.com
Tascam www.tascam.com/dp008
TC Electronic www.tcelectronic.com/pedals
Tech 21 www.tech21nyc.com
Van Amps www.vanamps.com
Voodoo Lab www.voodoolab.com
Webstrings.com www.webstrings.com
Whirlwind www.whirlwindusa.com
WM Devices www.wmdevices.com
17
116
51
167
18, 114
201
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53
103
171
59
93
110
182
140
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214
155
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171
206
218
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33
190
107
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194
90, 182
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186
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210
69
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83
186
Retailers
Bass Central www.basscentral.com
110, 158
DHR Music www.dhrmusic.com
208
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149
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141
Guitar Fetish www.guitarfetish.com
162
Mandolin Bros. www.mandoweb.com
178
Maken Music www.makenmusic.com
9495, 206
MIDC Ltd (JHS North America) www.jhs.co.uk
194
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86
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Source Audio www.sourceaudio.com
85
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181
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3
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186
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192
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210
Other
Blue Book, Inc. https://store.bluebookinc.com/Guitars/Default.aspx
Guitarinstructor.com www.guitarinstructor.com
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Vintage Guitar Pro http://vintageguitarpro.com/pg
172
97
168
211
215
GEAR MALL
TC Electronic Nova Repeater

Nova Repeater is the new no-frills-witha-sound-that-kills delay pedal from TC
Electronic. Its the ideal pedal for you if
youre a demanding guitarist who wants
instant, high quality and unique results,
without any of the fuss!
E.S.V. 2 Knob Bender Kit

Spot on recreation of the coveted MKII Professional Tonebender.
High end vintage style components and authentic N.O.S. OC75
germanium transistors. Easy to build and its the real deal.
MSRP $98.99
buildyourownclone.com
$235 USD MSRP

tcelectronic.com/novarepeater.asp
DeTemple Titanium
Tremolo Assembly
Tone You Can Feela direct
replacement for vintage
tremolo bridges found on
Stratocasters made from 1954 to
current reissue models. Improves
touch sensitivity, tuning, clarity,
sustain, harmonics, musicality and
weighs 1/4 pound less.
Part# TTA-01R
MSRP $360
detempleguitars.com
Blueridge BR-160A
The Blueridge BR-160A features a solid
Adirondack spruce top, back and sides of solid
Indian rosewood, Pre-War Forward-X top
bracing, slim mahogany neck with adjustable
truss rod, Herringbone top border and Saga
Exclusive Dalmatian tortoise pickguard,
rosewood fingerboard with Diamond and
Snowflake pearl position markers,
Herringbone Zigzag back strip and
ivoroid binding.
Eastwoods JOEY LEONE LTD Edition Guitar

Now available, only 50 made. Three coil-tapped
Humbuckers offer 27 different combinations every tone from a Strat to a Tele to a Les Paul.
Set Mahogany neck, includes Deluxe
Hardshell Case.
Street Price $1199

eastwoodguitars.com
DDyna Music Thinman OD

This lightest of the Companys
overdrive pedals is based on
blending two limiter types to create that little something to your
amp or effects chain. Includes
unique glowing controls.
MSRP $159
ddynamusic.com
Retail: $1150
sagamusic.com
GEAR MALL
223
LAsT CALL
JOhN BOhLINgER
My Name is John, and I Have a Pedal Problem

It started in ninth grade when the dealer
at our local music store sold me something
that changed my world: his used, gray ROSS
compressor for $50, (a kings ransom for a
14-year-old). I plugged it in and suddenly
everything sounded better. Like a crackheads
first hit, thats all it took to ensure my lifelong
dependence on those magic little boxes. I
still have that Ross, and about 50 other pedals, some working, some long since dead,
yet I cant part with any of them. Ive spent
thousands of dollars and hours experimenting with different combinations, models and
manufacturers. Every gig or session I do, I
study the other players boards, even the
gear belonging to underwhelming opening
acts. I seek out web photos of celeb boards
the way normal men web search for celeb
skin. This obsession stems from the fact that
a well-placed pedal can save mehas saved
meand many of my brethren from bad to
mediocre performances.
About three years ago I was playing acoustic
on a master session for Ray Scott, an artist on
Warner Brothers. Dan Dugmore was on electric. When it came time for a solo, Dan kicked
on his flanger and hit a big chord at the head
of each bar. That was it. It was perfect; so
simple, yet I would have never thought of it.
This lesson reinforced my pedal dependency.
Pedals are like beer: they make everything
better until they make everything worse. If
youre on a gig and not getting any sound out
of your amp, its probably your pedalboard,
not the guitar, nor the amp. If your guitar
sounds distant and weak, again, its probably
your board stealing your tone. Your amp and
guitar are fine. These are the lows of pedal
dependency. Ive learned to live with, and
adjust for, pedal pitfalls. Here are a few tips to
help if youre suffering the same affliction:
Switching, or FX loop systems help. Not
only do they prevent the pedals youre not
using from sucking your tone, but more
importantly, when a pedal or jumper cable
dies, the loop lets you cut it out of your path
and keep playing. Im an optimist by nature,
so I tend to run my compressor and dirt
straight from my guitar, then use switches for
my delays, tremolos and swirly stuff.
Everything breaks. If you find a pedal you

truly love, buy two or three of them. After my
Homebrew Power Screamer died at a dusty
state fair in Colorado, I sent it back to the
company to be fixed and purchased three
more, so Id never be without at least one.
Currently, I use three of them in different
boards and leave a brand new one in the box
at home, waiting on deck should one of the
others go down.
Good connecting cables are more important than your pedals. When I switched out
all my assorted jumpers for DiMarzio braided
jumpers, I gained a whopping 7dB in my signal, plus a ton of crisp highs.
The Studio Board has effects in a switching

system that run to the effects loop in the
amp. I plug my head into the boards Furman
power (even though the manual says not to).
Velcro does not hold pedals in place for

very long. Zip ties do.
The perfect pedalboard is not attainable.
I have four pedalboards and am currently
working toward the ultimate pedalboard.
Heres the rundown:
The Club board is made out of the back panel

of my Kustom 12 Cab and fits in my guitar gig
bag. One Hot Spot powers it. Every pedal on
here is missing a knob or a switch.
The Big Tour Board has power and wireless hidden under the board. The top of the
board works as a guitar rack, holding two
electrics, a mandolin and an acoustic. The
switching system takes effects out of line;
comp, boost and overdrive are in line.
The Ultimate Board is a work in progress. It
will have everything without being too big.
John Bohlinger
The Small Tour Board has neither wireless nor
loop; the case top holds two electrics and a
mando. I chose smaller pedals.
John Bohlinger is a Nashville guitar slinger who works primarily in television, and has recorded and toured with over
30 major label artists. His songs and playing can be heard
in major motion pictures, major label releases and literally
hundreds of television drops. Visit him at: youtube.com/
user/johnbohlinger or facebook.com/johnbohlinger
lHEROES OF
a
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r
GUITAR
are made of This...
V3
All-Tube 3 Channel Amp

with lead boost
Wayne Findlay
MSG / Slavior
Now available with optional diamond

faceplate and backlit lighting option.
The backlit color changes with channel
switching. Up to 7 different colors!
See carvin.com/v3led for demo
CS6M
shown with Deep Honey Burst Finish
MADE IN
USA
see the videos at

6 months zero
interest with the
Carvin card
factory direct sales carvin.com 800-854-2235
PRS
Tremonti
Signature
PRS Guitars 2009 Photo by Richard Booth
Available only at PRS Signature Dealers
prs signature dealers

All PRS Signature Dealers carry the full PRS lineup including amps
and acoustics; always in stock, ready to go.
These are the only places you will find our artist Signature guitars as well as
special limited edition PRS models. Stop by one of the dealers listed below
for the ultimate PRS Experience.
Bizarre Guitars - Reno, NV
Auburn Guitar - Auburn, AL
Martin Music - Memphis, TN
Elderly Instruments - Lansing, MI
Willcutt Guitars - Lexington, KY
Magdon Music - Olyphant, PA
Fat Sound - Cary, NC
Washington Music Center -Wheaton, MD
G Guitars - New Haven, CT
The Guitar Hangar - Brookfield, CT
Rudys Music Stop - New York, NY
Sweetwater - Ft. Wayne, IN
Daves Guitar Shop - Lacrosse, WI
Guitar Resurrection - Austin, TX

Rainbow Guitars - Tuscon, AZ
Wild West Guitars - Riverside, CA
Musicians Friend - Kansas City, KS
Corner Music - Nashville, TN
Pianos and Stuff - Pittsburgh, PA
Guitar Center - North Dallas, TX
Guitar Center - Manchester, CT
Guitar Center - Hollywood, CA
Guitar Center - Manhattan, NY
Guitar Center - Towson, MD
Guitar Center - Seattle, WA
Guitar Center - Fountain Valley, CA
dealer
www.prsguitars.com
Thank you for entering to win the

DBZ Croc Skin Bolero on
PremierGuitar.com.
The contest has concluded, but DBZ

Guitars would like to present you
with this special edition of Premier
Guitar, featuring the digital catalog
of the 2009 collection from DBZ.
Click here to check it out.
Click Here to Experience the 2009 Collection

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NOVEMBERHighlights

The Pedal Issue

Sponsored by PRS Guitars

The legend talks about

The State of the Stomp

Tom Hughes examines the current

Our pedal experts offer up 25+

Interested in getting in on the DIY craze? We did

The country superstar talks

Pimp Your Pedalboard

Seven pedalboard add-ons to help

Fenders Sonic Youth Signature Jazzmasters

6 NEW LESSONS SNEak PEEk: LiNE 6 SPidEr VaLVE Mkii 112

Keepin the Blues Alive!

MORE GEAR REVIEwS

NEwS: Gibson Does Fender

FIVE wICkED LITTLE PEDALS wITH kILLER STACkS OF TONE.

This Blonde dishes out pure American tone

The legendary crunch of British steel

Designed and Manufactured in the U.S.A. - www.tech21nyc.com

That distinctive diamond grille tone is yours

Legendary bass tone for players who enjoy

Get More for

Buy Any Guitar oor Bass

Weve Got a Blizzard of

The original G-System set the world of guitar

Senior Art Editor

Web Content Editor

PRODUCTION & OPERATIONs

Director of Retail Sales

6 PREMIER GUITAR NOVEMBER 2009

Greetings gearheads and welcome to another

that was distributed to 3500 gearheads

tion company and look forward to what my

Trent Salter, Publisher

One thing that makes this issue different

I cant remember if I cried

Music history. Martin history.

Have you ever felt

Beach (at the time)WPOM 1600which

starving, semi-professional musician that I

From there, the rest is pretty much history.

Legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore has been creating

Buddy Guy: Keepin the

Schroeder Guitars Radio Lane

The months Blues, Rock, Acoustic and Jazz Lessons,

108 Brad Paisley: Proud Gearhead

TomasZewicZ Amplifiers TZZ-15112

L.R. Baggs Venue DI

Fishman Aura Spectrum DI

65Amps Lil Elvis

VanAmps Reverbamate ASR-1

The country superstar talks about equipment, tone,

117 The State of the Stomp

Tom Hughes examines the current state

124 The Stomping Grounds

Our pedal experts offer up their reviews of 25+

142 Pedal by Numbers: Three DIY Kits

152 Pimp Your Pedalboard

Seven pedalboard add-ons to help you trick out your stomps.

Fenders Sonic Youth Signature

Gibson Does Fender, New PRS Guitars, New

The Public Record with Tommy Lee